


Unclouded Eyes (Tokka)

by caramiyuki



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Community: tokka100, F/M, Multi, Tokka - Freeform, Tokka Week, Tokka smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:14:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26127829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramiyuki/pseuds/caramiyuki
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko, Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 56
Kudos: 158
Collections: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tokka Collection





	1. Chapter 1

The Beifong Metalbending Academy was anything but quiet. On any given day you could hear the intense shouting coming from the teenage instructor for whom the school was named after. It was a wonder any of her students made it out of the building in one piece. The greatest earthbender of all time, not to mention the inventor of metalbending, was not exactly gentle with her pupils and at times it looked like the wreckage from her lessons had to have buried at least a few of her students. Toph had little patience for those who didn’t live up to her expectations. And with so many earthbenders flocking to Yu Dao for the chance to study under her, well, let’s just say Toph didn’t have the time to deal with people who couldn’t produce results. If there was a bender who was truly incapable, there were ten more waiting to take his place. Of course anyone else would say that the work she had done here in the years since the war had ended was nothing short of miraculous, but Toph had higher standards than most. She had successfully trained several police forces in the art of metalbending to better protect the diversely populated cities of this new world they were living in. She was an executive partner for her father’s company Earthen Fire Industries, working with engineers on new machines, helping to usher in an age of technology and innovation. 

But beneath all of the new responsibilities and the accomplishments, she was a sixteen year old girl who missed her friends. Before the dunderheads who she loved so much had crashed into her life four years ago, she had been utterly alone. After ending a war together, they remained close, but they were all needed for different things and the separation made her ache for the days when Team Avatar spent every waking moment together. It had been months since she had last seen her friends, who were due to arrive any day in Yu Dao. Toph wouldn’t admit it, but she was anxious about their arrival, worried that maybe things would be different after the time apart. Rather than confront those feelings directly, she unleashed a fury of metal plates upon her students, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead as she advanced on them. She stomped her foot down hard, ripping up the metal floor and causing many of her students to lose their balance. Her more impressive students regained their center quickly, a few even going on the offensive, sending the metal plates hurling back towards her head. She dodged them easily and herded those who weren’t knocked to the ground into a small metal box with a simple flex of her fingers. Just as she was about to turn away for the day and leave her students to release themselves, she felt a boulder sling past her, moving just in the knick of time to avoid being hit.

“What the -” Toph had felt all of her students, knew exactly where each of them was located and was caught off guard by this rock that seemed to come out of nowhere. She rose her arms up defensively, prepared to unleash pain like no other upon whoever dared to attack her. Suddenly, almost imperceptibly, the air shifted and Toph’s mouth curled up into a smirk.  _ Got him.  _ She slid the platform he was standing on out from under his feet and laughed when she heard him land on the ground. “Way to make an entrance, Twinkle Toes. I almost buried you alive.” 

The young Avatar had broken his fall with a gust of wind and used another to straighten out his robes, laughing with his old earthbending teacher and friend. “I just wanted to make sure you’ve still got it.” Aang joked, pulling Toph into his arms for a hug. She surprised him by allowing the contact for three whole seconds before punching him squarely in his chest. “I couldn’t lose it if I tried. Especially not to a light-footed princess like you.” The smirk playing on Toph’s lips grew into a full-blown smile when she recognized more footsteps. She turned around quickly, orienting towards the entrance of the academy. “Speaking of royalty...I knew you couldn’t be far behind, Sugar Queen.” 

Katara giggled at the old nickname and pulled Toph in for a hug that was too tight but somehow just right. The waterbender was surprised to find she could no longer rest her head on top of Toph’s. She released her grip on the earthbender slightly, pushing Toph back with her hands still on her shoulders as she examined her. The girl she had known was taller now and filled out her uniform in ways she never had before. “Spirits, Toph! I haven't seen you for half a year and you use the time to turn into a woman?” 

Toph was embarrassed but tried not to show it, pushing Katara’s hands off of her and rolling her eyes. “I used the time to train these idiots,” she changed the subject, gesturing towards her metalbending students who were still trying to free themselves from the metallic prison she had formed around them. Finally the owner of the other pair of footsteps spoke. “What, no special greeting for me? As your best friend, I must say I’m hurt.” 

She could practically feel his smirk and knew she would be lying to herself if she said that there weren’t some lingering remnants of the crush she’d had before. It was the thing she liked the least about herself, that she could be vulnerable to something as stupid as a romantic inclination towards her oldest friend. It was obviously easier to avoid when he was on the other side of the world, working with his father in the South Pole. She could feel Sokka’s eyes on her now and knew he expected some sort of greeting from her. “Hey Meathead. Best friend might be overstating it, don’t you think?” Toph hoped that it sounded as cool and aloof as she had meant for it to. More than anything she hoped her cheeks weren’t warm. 

“A guy gets a little busy with his tribe and suddenly four years of companionship down the drain?” Sokka shook his head wryly, a smile on his face. “Don’t think so. You’re not getting off that easy.” The watertribe man pulled her into his chest, more wide and muscular than she remembered, but she easily navigated away from the hug. Sokka’s smile faltered slightly at her dismissive reaction to him. He had been so excited to see her. More than once he had bickered with Katara and Aang about a stop they wanted to make on the already long journey from the South Pole to Yu Dao, insisting they follow a strict schedule so he could reunite with his friend sooner rather than later. Six months was the longest stretch of time they had been apart since they’d met and to say that he missed his best friend would be an understatement. Toph turned away from her friends and with a small wave of her hand lowered the walls that were trapping her students. 

“Class is dismissed,” she announced. The gang turned their attention to her pupils as many of them moved past the group to exit the academy, bowing their heads in deference to their Avatar. Aang returned their respect with a small bow of his own. He looked a bit concerned when he saw just how many of the metalbenders were limping out of class but knew better than to verbalize his opinion on the subject. Toph taught the way she saw fit and nothing he said would do anything to change her teaching style. Not that he would want to - she was a damn good Sifu. After all, she was the one who had taught him all those years ago. 

Katara, however, couldn't resist. “Some of those guys look like they could use a healer after a session with you.” Sokka silently agreed with his sister, taking a visual inventory of all the injuries that Toph had seemed to inflict upon these men. He wasn’t worried about them though; they were lucky to be learning from someone as amazing as Toph. The watertribe man admired her strength, he always had. 

“Yeah, well someone has to turn these lily livers into real metalbenders,” Toph sighed and she sounded exhausted by the task at hand. Sokka decides that his friend needs a little good old fashioned mischief and mayhem to balance the scales of all the difficult and important work she’s been doing here. From the day Toph first joined Team Avatar, Sokka saw a kindred spirit in the girl who was always ready for a fight. There was a light within her that drew people in like moths to a flame. He felt beyond fortunate to be her best friend and hoped that despite the time away from one another, they could fall back into step, laughing and scheming together like always. An unbreakable unit. 

Sokka’s thoughts were interrupted when Aang opened his mouth to speak. “You must be doing a pretty good job at it if they’re throwing a banquet in your honor.” 

Toph had pushed the banquet to the backburner of her mind, having so many other things to worry about. She was proud of the strides she had made here with this new form of bending, but the idea of having to dress up and be on display for the powerful figures of the United Republic brought her little excitement. However the fact that she would get to share the celebration with her closest friends remedied any ill feelings she had. “Oh yeah, that.” she stated simply, seeming unimpressed. Aang and Katara exchanged a worried glance before the waterbender stepped forward, grabbing Toph’s hand. 

“What’s wrong?” the waterbender asked, the worry clear in her voice. Toph laughed a little, hoping to lighten the mood. She didn’t want to talk about how big formal events reminded her of all the pain and pressure from her childhood or complain about the strict dress code King Kuei was enforcing for the event - she was even required to wear shoes to this event for Spirits sake. But in comparison to fighting in a literal war, this was nothing. She sensed each of her friends around her and was grateful. 

“Oh you know, just not looking forward to feeling Aang embarrass himself on the dancefloor all night.” She nudged the airbender in the ribcage with her elbow and he rewarded her with a breathy laugh.

“Katara likes it.”

This earned a real laugh from Toph. “At least someone does.” 


	2. Chapter 2

After the last of her metalbending students had filtered out of the academy, Toph led her friends out as well, locking up the building behind her. The action almost made her laugh. No one would dare try to walk into her school uninvited but her father and his partners at Earthen Fire Industries insisted that if they were going to sponsor a new building, she was going to take all of the steps towards security that they saw fit. Toph hated being told what to do but she was grateful for the gift and even more grateful for the opportunity to mend her relationship with her father. Seeing him for the first time since having run away only to have him deny being her father at all - it was more painful than she could have anticipated. However, after Toph saved his ass in the collapsed mine with her metalbending prowess, Lao had realized that she was more than just his daughter anyway. She hadn’t grown into the prim and proper young lady he had wanted her to, but she had helped save the world and his life. Tonight at this stupid event was probably the closest she would ever come to looking like the daughter he had always wanted and the thought filled her with a small bit of dread. So lost in her thoughts, she almost didn’t realize they were on the street where she lived. 

“It’s right up this hill.” Toph lamented, creating a rock platform beneath her friend’s feet and lifting them quickly to the top. 

Sokka looked at the sizable structure before him in awe. The last time he had visited Yu Dao, admittedly some months ago, Toph had been sleeping in a back room of her old metalbending academy. His earthbending friend had sent word to Aang about the new academy they had erected in the city but she had failed to mention the new house that came with it. He could clearly see that Earthen Fire Industries had sponsored the construction of the house but there were features that were undeniably Toph. She stepped forward toward the house and once her friends had found stable footing, sent the rock platform back to the bottom of the hill. Sokka guessed that the dangerous rock elevator was not Lao’s idea. “It’s so beautiful Toph! I can’t believe you didn’t mention this in our letters.” Katara’s mouth was slightly agape as she stared up at the home. Toph shrugged her shoulders, pointing two fingers towards the metal front door of the home which sank into the ground in response. 

“Can’t write my own letters. Just thought I’d mention the most important things.” Toph thought about her self-volunteered scribe, Satoru, and how he definitely wouldn’t mind writing longer correspondence on her behalf. But she didn’t want him, or anyone really, knowing too many intimate details about her life so she kept her own letters short and sweet. Her friends could always visit more often if they wanted to be updated, but she wouldn’t say that aloud, embarrassed by how vulnerable it might come off. She gestured for her friends to follow her inside and they did so quickly, eager to see if the inside of the house was just as beautiful as the exterior. It was surprisingly lavish, not something that Sokka would expect from his best friend. “Did Lao design this place?” he asked as they were led down a long hallway that was draped with expensive tapestries. 

Toph bristled a little. “Satoru helped. I’m not much for interior design.” She waved her hand in front of her face a few times, emphasizing the whole blind thing since he seemed to forget. Sokka noticed her irritation and sighed a little. “It’s really nice.” he amended. Toph thanked him quietly before stopping at a door near the front of the hallway. 

“Katara and Aang, you will stay in this suite. There are two separate rooms within it if you prefer to sleep separately.” Toph opened the door for them, allowing them to admire the intricate designs within. Aang blushed a little about the sleeping comment and Sokka couldn’t help but laugh. Aang and his sister had been together for years now, affectionate as could be, but they were still too modest to admit that they slept together. On long journeys, like the one from the South Pole, the sleeping arrangements were much like they had been in the early days of Team Avatar. Now that Aang could earthbend, it was separate tents rather than separate blankets for everyone. The couple thanked Toph and ushered themselves into the room, closing the door behind them with a simple “We are going to get ready for the banquet.” 

“The banquet doesn’t start for two hours!” Sokka teased, smacking a hand against the door. He could hear their laughter on the other side. He knew they wanted some alone time after nearly a week with him so he turned away and ran to catch up with Toph who had continued down the long hallway without him. She seemed in a rush. Sokka jogged until he was side by side with her, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Jeez Toph, you have grown.” he remarked when he realized he didn’t have to lean so far down anymore. 

She ignored his comment and spoke again only when they arrived in front of a door much further down the hallway than Katara and Aang’s suite had been. “This is where you will be staying. The servants had it made up for you. I hope you enjoy your stay.” Her voice sounded so robotic and detached, not at all like her. She had slunk out of his hold to open the door for him and was now making her way to the end of the hall where her suite was located. Sokka let out a shocked laugh, barely glancing inside his room, before following after his friend. 

“When have you ever said that to me?” he laughed, continuing on, “Enjoy your stay? What’s next, we discuss the weather?” 

Toph stopped in front of her suite, debating whether or not to open the door and go inside. She was sure Sokka would follow her no matter what she did and she did need to start getting ready for the event pretty soon so she relented, turning around to face him. “Sorry. I’m just stressed out about the event.” she admitted, tugging at a string that had come loose on her training uniform. She knew two servants were waiting within her suite to make her presentable for the banquet and that they were probably panicking that she hadn’t arrived home from her training session yet. She could feel their nerves through the floor and didn’t want to keep them waiting any longer. “I’ll see you at this thing, okay? The servants have some formal wear options laid out for you in your chambers.”

Sokka stood there for a moment after she closed the door, disappearing into her own suite which he could see was full of different silks and perfumes. So not the kind of thing Toph was into. He couldn’t think of why she would rather rush off to that circus than stand and talk with him. Was she upset about the limited correspondence between them in recent months? She hadn’t sent much word for him at all in the last six months but he had tried to be thorough in his responses back despite the fact that he wasn’t even sure she was having the letters read to her. Toph was always a little gruff so he tried not to read too much into it, instead walking the few doors down to his own room and closing the door behind him. The suite was well-furnished, more of the expensive tapestries from the hallway framed these walls, and a four poster bed stood alone in the middle of the room. As his friend had said, there were plenty of outfit options laid out, something that would usually delight him but now just left him wishing there was someone in here to help him make his decision. Katara and Aang were very obviously busy with one another and Toph wasn’t going to be a viable option either, so he chose his outfit by himself and made his way into the adjoining washroom. 

He was grateful for the hot steam that filled the room as he undressed for his shower. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and flexed around a bit since no one was here to make fun of him for it. Sokka had worked hard in the Southern Water Tribe, helping to reconstruct and rebuild his home, and his body was that of a man’s now. He remembered growing up without any men in the village, only the memories of them since they had gone off to war, and he smiled slightly when he realized he had grown from a boy into a warrior in recent years. Suki was always complimenting his stronger physique and for a moment, he missed her terribly. She had important duties of her own in the fire nation’s Capital City, protecting the new Fire Lord, and that meant that their time together was very limited. He hadn’t seen her in nearly a year and although the occasional messenger hawk brought news from her, he longed for the days where she stood beside him. He longed for her touch, it had been so long since he had felt the relief of her mouth or her hands around him. He shook the thought from his head and stepped into the steaming hot shower, putting thoughts of his loneliness away as he readied himself for the banquet. 

-

Toph tried to take the longest shower possible so she could delay the inevitable, but after about thirty minutes standing beneath the hot water her servants knocked on the door of the washroom. “Mistress Beifong, I believe you’re clean enough for us to begin.” her favorite servant, Yei Li, spoke. Toph sighed and shut off the water, stepping out of the shower with a small apology. She could feel Yei Li’s heart beating strangely and realized her own nudity might have made the servant uncomfortable. She had been dressed by these servants so many times over the years, it seemed like second nature to step out this way, but as everyone kept reminding the young earthbender, her body was different now. Toph was uncomfortable about the swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips and backside. In her training uniform, which she had designed to hold her in tightly, it was harder to tell that her form had changed. But here, in the light of the washroom, completely exposed, she knew her servant had noticed. She felt Yei Li’s head turn away slightly as she helped her into her undergarments which felt too thin and flimsy for her liking. 

Toph said as much but her second servant, and apparent style consultant, assured her that these were the kind of feminine garments you wore with a gown as elegant as the one Toph was to wear tonight. The servants made quick work of dressing her, agreeing that they would wrap her freshly-scrubbed feet into silk flats rather than attempt to force her into the heels that stood by the bureau. They didn’t want her to bring the house down around them in the midst of whatever struggle would’ve surely ensued had they tried to press the subject. After applying a light layer of makeup on their mistress’ face and pulling the top half of her long, black hair up to frame her face, the servants stood back to admire their work. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, you look beautiful.” Yei Li said, smoothing Toph’s translucent sleeves once more. Toph actually found some comfort in the words and graced her servant with a small smile. She could hear the footsteps of her other friends as they finished getting ready and knew that it was almost time to leave. She walked out of her chambers and to the front door when she felt different footsteps approaching up the hill that led to her house. It was quite a trek if you didn’t have an earthbender to help you up and she knew only one person who would make the journey. With a small wave of her hand, the metal door descended into the ground and revealed Satoru on the other side. Of course, Toph couldn’t see his face but she could feel his rapid heartbeat, attributing it to the exercise he had endured. 

“Wow, Toph- I…” Satoru cleared his throat and straightened out the coat he was wearing. “I’ve never seen you in a dress.” he stammered. 

That wasn’t a compliment or an insult and it served only to make Toph more nervous. “Well, I’ve never seen you at all.” She gestured for him to enter her home and he laughed before doing so. 

“What I meant to say was that you look really nice. I feel underdressed now.” Satoru glanced down at his own outfit and felt like a kid playing dress up. Especially with Toph standing in front of him, as beautiful as he had ever seen her. Well maybe that wasn’t true. He found her beautiful every minute of every day that she graced him with her presence. But he had been such an overzealous fan when they first met, fawning over her like a fool, and he feared she would always see him that way. He knew how much she valued strength and as a non-bender he had to prove his power in other ways. Designing her a home and building machines that he thought might impress her. He was shocked when she accepted his offer to accompany her to the banquet tonight. He had done so under the guise of representing Earthen Fire Industries, saying he would field off any questions about the company on her behalf so she wouldn’t have to interact with so many people. That was probably the only reason he was standing in front of the beautiful young woman now, but he would take what he could get. 

“Thank you. I’m sure you look nice too.” Toph’s voice was softer than usual and the unfamiliarity of the entire situation made him smile. She turned around to lead him further into the house and his eyes trailed across her body, drinking in the way the fabric clung to her hips. He turned his attention elsewhere when he realized the effect her appearance was having on his heart rate, hoping she wouldn’t notice or that she would assume he was still winded from his hike up the hill. Toph led him down the hallway that housed the sleeping chambers and although Satoru had never been inside for personal reasons, he knew every inch of this house he designed. Before Toph could knock, one of the first doors swung open to reveal the Avatar. His eyes widened when he saw Toph but he made no comment, waiting for her to speak. “I am going to head to the banquet now with Satoru. Could you gather everyone else and fly them over on Appa?” Toph asked in the most polite tone he had heard from her. Satoru stood back and admired the strangeness of it all as Aang and Toph finished their discussion and a moment later she grabbed the engineer by the forearm and led him back to the front door. He tried not to blush. Even in this non-romantic, maybe not even friendly, iron-grip she had him in he still felt giddy to experience her touch. These feelings were quickly turned into that of absolute fear as she led him outside and dropped the earth out from under them, sending them to the bottom of the hill in seconds. Toph let out a small laugh in response to the gasp that Satoru tried to disguise with a cough. 

“Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.” Toph decided, releasing Satoru from her grip when they were on stable ground. The young man silently called on the Spirits to return him home in one piece. 

-

“What - she just left us?” Sokka scoffed. Aang could see his friend was clearly offended and tried his best to smooth the situation over so they could all have a good night together. 

“It wasn’t like that. Satoru arrived to pick her up and she didn’t want to rush us.” he explained calmly. The Avatar straightened his formal robes which of course had already been smoothed out by Katara at least a hundred times. He felt odd in these heavier clothes but loved the excuse to dress up and celebrate a friend. Sokka was not soothed by the Avatar’s words in the least bit.

“Satoru? That idiot from the factory who falls all over himself when Toph is around?” 

Aang shot his friend a warning look, not a fan of disparaging words against someone who had only ever shown them kindness. Sokka shook his head but gave no verbal response, not trusting his words when he was angry. How could Toph leave without him? She hadn’t even come to say goodbye. After months apart and the week it took to get here, she couldn’t even be bothered to interact with her best friend? Sokka walked out of the back door of the house towards the garden where Appa was resting. The wind was blowing in a strong breeze and Sokka was grateful for the thick material of his watertribe formal wear. He had been excited to fly over the city on Appa with his friends, Toph holding onto him and complaining about the altitude or maybe whatever outfit they had forced her into. It was a tradition of sorts. To find out she had left on account of some guy she saw all the time was annoying beyond belief. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a noise in the garden. Katara walked towards him with a sympathetic look painted on her face. “Are you okay? Aang said you seemed upset.” 

“I’m fine.” Sokka answered. It came out of his mouth so quickly that not even he was convinced. “I mean, it’s a little frustrating that Toph doesn’t seem to care that we’re here, but I’m fine.”

Katara’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “Sokka, she has been nothing but welcoming to us. She had rooms ready for us in her home and she made sure we all had something nice to wear tonight.” the waterbender reasoned, gesturing towards his lavish outfit and her own. 

Of course Katara wouldn’t see any difference. Toph wasn’t treating  _ her  _ any differently than usual. For whatever reason, it was Sokka who was getting the short end of the stick. Toph usually regarded him with a level of warmth and camaraderie that was reserved only for him. Time and time again she had fought alongside him, protected his deepest secrets, encouraged his ideas. Now she couldn’t even spend five minutes alone with him. Katara could see how upset her brother still was and tried to comfort him. “Sokka, she is really nervous about tonight. She hates this kind of thing enough already and there is a lot of pressure on her tonight to represent not just her metalbending academy but also her father’s company. You know how difficult that relationship has been for her.” Katara finished in a quiet voice. He knew it wasn’t her intention, but Sokka felt bad after hearing his sister’s words. He was being selfish. Had he even tried to talk to Toph about her feelings surrounding the event? Sure she had closed the door behind her after saying she was nervous but he could have easily opened it. He was used to breaking down barriers when it came to Toph and on a night like tonight when she probably really needed it, he had been too wrapped up in his own feelings of neglect to really talk to her. He looked down and sighed, letting go of any negativity he had allowed to form within him. “You’re right.”

Katara patted his back and giggled, “I always am.” 

Aang, who had been listening but trying to give the siblings their space, chose this moment to make his presence known. He walked across the garden and wrapped his arms around his beautiful girlfriend. “All set?” he asked. Sokka, apparently destined to be their third wheel, answered in the affirmative for them since Katara’s mouth was otherwise occupied planting a sweet kiss on Aang’s chest. Ugh, the oogies were creeping up strong tonight. Aang guided Sokka onto Appa’s saddle with a small gust of wind and kissed Katara once on the lips before sending her up as well. He settled himself at the reigns and gave Appa’s head an affectionate scratch. “Time to go, buddy. Yip yip!” 


	3. Chapter 3

The ride from Toph’s home to the banquet hall was uncharacteristically windy and Sokka found himself wishing that his best friend was sitting next to him- his own personal furnace on nights like this. Thankfully, travel on a flying bison was quicker than most methods of transportation and they arrived at the banquet hall in under ten minutes. Sokka wasted no time in helping himself down, not waiting for Aang or Katara who he could hear giving Appa instructions to stay close while they were inside. The watertribe man slid easily down Appa’s side and adjusted his outfit once he landed on his feet. He suddenly felt a bit nervous; he wanted to look presentable for the event that was honoring his closest friend. He knew how many people still viewed those from the Southern Water Tribe as uncivilized and he didn’t want anyone to have a reason to look down on him. He could almost hear Toph’s voice in his head asking him why he would care what any of these stuffy old bats thought. It eased his nerves enough to proceed towards the lights and music emanating from within the large building. He gave his name to some guards that stood at the large double-doors and after a brief glance at the list they allowed him inside giving him a card that had his seating assignment on it. 

Sokka looked down at the card to review the small map then lifted his head once more trying to navigate through the hustle and bustle of the party. A flash of light green flitted past him in his peripheral vision, catching his attention as the deft movement was all too familiar to him. He turned his head and sucked in a breath when he saw Toph in her form fitting gown. Her long black hair which was usually pulled up into a bun currently hung down her back with pieces of it pulled up so he could still see her lovely face. He tried not to linger on her painted lips too long but when he moved his gaze lower all he could notice was the way her body curved and strained against her viridescent dress. _ What the- when did she?  _ He didn’t have time to fully process the sight of her before he noticed the man standing behind her. 

Sokka watched as Satoru’s eyes trailed every inch of Toph’s body and all the negativity he thought he had released earlier came rushing back to the surface. He knew Toph must have sensed he had arrived but she made no move to greet him. He didn’t notice he had crumpled up the piece of paper in his hand until he glanced down at it again and discovered that he was to sit at a table with the two of them. Sokka blew out a breath he was unaware he was holding and advanced forward. Once Sokka was a few feet away from Toph she turned in his direction, and Satoru rotated in step with her, his eyes never straying from her figure. _ La and Tui, this guy needs to ease up. _ Sokka couldn’t help his irritation towards this man who had pulled his best friend’s attention away.

“Hey, glad you could make it. Where are Aang and Katara?” Toph asked. The question was innocent enough but it did nothing to improve Sokka’s mood. He wanted her to be more excited to see him. He wanted her to treat him like more than a passing acquaintance. It seemed she was quite capable of kindness when it came to the blubbering fool who was currently standing too close to her. 

“I don’t know, behind me somewhere.” Sokka answered dismissively. “Who is this?”

Toph’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “You’ve met Satoru.” 

The man held his hand out for Sokka who simply looked at it in response. Who did this guy think he was? Whisking Toph out of the house and away from her friends and now ogling her like she was a piece of seal jerky he was desperate to take a bite of - it was too much. “Huh...right.” 

Satoru dropped his hand when he realized Sokka had no intention of shaking it. He turned his head towards Toph, practically breathing into her ear, “I’m going to go and get us some drinks.” She thanked him and waited until he was out of earshot before turning her attention to Sokka.

“What’s your problem?” she asked but there was no accusation in her voice. The fact that she genuinely didn’t know why he was acting this way only made him more upset. Did she not realize she was treating him with a level of indifference she never had before? He should have been mature and vocalized how he was feeling but the words that came out instead were, “I don’t know, Toph. What is my problem?”

The earthbender’s face shifted into a frown and she rolled her grey eyes, surprisingly good at the action for someone whose eyes were ornamental. “Well for starters, you’re being rude to Satoru and he’s done nothing to you.” 

Sokka didn’t want to waste time talking about Satoru. The engineer was only a piece of the larger problem which was the fact that his best friend didn’t seem to see him the same way. He didn’t know when things had changed, at what point in the last six months she had decided that he wasn’t her person anymore. Sokka glanced over at the punch bowl and saw the engineer who was occupying Toph’s time ladling out some of the red mixture into two glasses. Once he returned there would be little hope of having an actual conversation with his friend. “Toph, can we please talk about this somewhere else?” Sokka asked in a softer voice, turning his attention back towards the girl in front of him. 

Toph didn’t think it was the best idea to spend any extra time alone with the man who had inhabited her thoughts and dreams for the past four years but she could hear the sadness in her friend’s voice and didn’t want to be the cause of it. It wasn’t his fault that her feelings had come crashing back down on her like a tidal wave when she was in his presence again. “Follow me.” she commanded, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. She kept her head down in an effort to avoid being stopped as she made her way to the back wall of the party, disappearing behind the huge curtains that separated the main room from the rest of the sprawling property. She walked up the steps of a grand staircase silently but could feel Sokka trailing behind her as she led him out into an open courtyard. The stars were visible above them and a cool breeze blew through the sleeves of her dress. Sokka took in the sight of her for a moment, looking so different now than she had the countless other times he had seen her standing in the moonlight. He forced his eyes away from her when he realized he had been looking too long. It wasn’t like she would catch him staring but he felt strange observing her. Toph hoped he would be the first to speak but after a moment of silence she opened her mouth. “What is it?” 

Sokka looked down at the cobblestone beneath his feet. “Did I do something to upset you?”

His voice held none of his characteristic lightness or comedy, his trademark quips nowhere to be found. Toph scratched her head in a nervous gesture then stopped when she realized she might mess up the intricate hairstyle her servants had spent their time on. Sokka looked back up at her in anticipation. “It’s nothing.” Toph answered, turning away from him as if she was going to go back inside. Sokka reached for her wrist and pulled her back towards him, emotion welling up inside of him.

“It’s not nothing, Toph. Please,” his voice was filled with pain “Tell me what’s going on. You’re treating me like you don’t know me.” The watertribe man was embarrassed to feel tears brimming in his eyes. He didn’t realize how deeply this hurt and was glad that Toph couldn’t see him. “You have barely said two words to me and you’re going out of your way not to spend time with me. You’re at this banquet with some guy that you see all the time when I haven’t seen you in six months. I can tell you don’t even want to be up here with me now. What did I do?” 

Toph was surprised by his display of emotion. She hadn’t meant for him to feel neglected or uncared for, but it was difficult to be near him again after months apart. She thought she was over her stupid crush but as soon as she was in his proximity again...it was overwhelming to realize how much she still cared for him. “You didn’t do anything.” she responded, hoping he wouldn’t push the subject. It was a foolish hope obviously because the man continued questioning her.

“Then what is it? I have missed you so much,” Sokka’s voice was so earnest that Toph had to pull away from him. It was too much hearing these words and feeling his touch against her skin. Sokka wrapped his hands gently around her arms, holding her in place. “Talk to me.” he demanded.

Maybe it was the sadness in his voice or maybe it was the sensory overload that accompanied being held by the man she cared for so intensely, but before she could stop herself the words were tumbling out of her mouth. “I have feelings for you. More than friendship kind of feelings. And I’ve had them since I was twelve and I thought they would go away but it’s been years and they just get worse.” 

Sokka’s mouth fell open but no words came out as he stared at the girl he had grown up with. His grip on her arms loosened and his hands fell to his sides. That was the last thing he expected to hear from her. “What?” he asked even though there was no mistaking what she had said. Here she was, standing before him so vulnerable and beautiful, and he was more confused than he had ever been in his life. He was supposed to be the idea guy so how was it possible that he hadn’t the faintest idea she cared for him in this way? Her pale eyes were full of hope and Sokka could barely meet them. She was only sixteen. He had known her since she was a child. He couldn’t do this, couldn’t violate their friendship. He felt so guilty for the ways he had looked at her tonight, guilty that he was even considering this in his mind. A strand of her black hair had fallen into her face and Sokka reached forward to push it behind her ear, fingers lingering on her cheek for a moment too long. Toph’s eyes closed and he panicked when he realized she thought he was going to kiss her. “Toph, I- I can’t.”

Her eyes shot back open and she stumbled away from his touch, redness flooding into her cheeks. He tried to reach for her but she jerked away from his hands, emotion clear on her face. Toph had never felt this exposed to anyone in her life and he had rejected her. She was humiliated and the feeling only grew when she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She turned away from Sokka but he had already seen one fall down her face. “Please understand. I care about you deeply and-”

“It’s fine.” Toph interrupted him, wiping the hot tears away from her face as quickly as she could. 

Sokka knew that it wasn’t; he could see the way her shoulders shook as she tried not to cry. He wanted more than anything to take this pain away, to soothe her somehow. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed one small circle before she leaned away from his touch. “You mean so much to me and I -” he began but she cut him off with a forced laugh.

“Seriously, you don’t need to do that.” Toph tried her hardest to seem unaffected even as her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. “Just- Just forget I ever said anything. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her back was still turned to him as she wiped her remaining tears, lifting her head up and standing tall when she was satisfied there was no remaining evidence of her despair. Sokka wanted to say something, anything, to comfort his friend but he knew whatever words he could come up with would be wrong. She spoke so quietly that it was difficult to hear her. “I’m going to go back inside. Satoru is waiting and I don’t want to be more rude than I already have been. I hope you enjoy the party.” 

Sokka didn’t have time to respond before she walked away. He watched her until she disappeared down the staircase that had led them out here. He was frozen for a moment, unsure whether he should go back inside at all. They had been up here for no more than five minutes and in that amount of time he had managed to mess everything up. This was supposed to be a night celebrating her and instead he had made her cry. The image of his best friend flinching away from him as he let her down overpowered his mind. It was the only thing he could see, on a loop - her tears, her humiliation. What had he done? He hung his head and felt a tear of his own slide down his face.  _ Fuck.  _

-

Toph walked down the staircase as quickly as she could, praying that Sokka would wait for a moment before returning to the party. She wanted more than anything to go home and lock herself in her room, but she knew that she needed to stay here and act like a gracious guest of honor. She took one final moment to breathe deeply and push her feelings down as far as she could before she stepped out from behind the curtain and rejoined the raucous party. Usually such an overwhelming assault of sounds and vibrations would disturb Toph but right now she needed the distraction. She planted her foot a bit more firmly to the ground and turned when she located Satoru. She walked over to their table which he was standing next to awkwardly. “Are you okay?” he asked her and for a second she worried she hadn’t cleared her face of tears well enough. “You just kind of disappeared. I was worried.” Satoru explained, placing the drinks he held in his hands on the table. Toph could feel his nerves and knew he was being genuine but couldn’t think of why the engineer would care.

“Why were you worried?” she asked, taking her seat at the table and gesturing for him to do the same. He slid into the chair next to her and she could feel his eyes on her still. They had been fixated on her for most of the night and she wondered if Lao had given him some sort of order to watch over her. It was embarrassing and unnecessary. She was the most powerful earthbender in the world and the last thing she needed was a babysitter. Satoru shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” he finally answered.

_ Too late for that.  _ Toph wished she could go back in time just ten minutes and keep herself from ever speaking to Sokka. She pushed the thought of the watertribe man out of her head and instead focused on the man in front of her. “I’m capable of looking after myself.” she told him, lifting her glass from the table and taking a drink of the sweet liquid.

“I know that Toph. I just care about you.” Satoru mirrored her action and took a drink himself.

The young woman turned her body towards the engineer. His nerves were flowing off of him like waves and Toph realized that his words must have carried more meaning to him than she had realized. Her and Satoru had spent plenty of time together in the past two years and he had always been friendly with her but she suspected he wouldn’t be this nervous if he was talking about simple feelings of friendship. Tonight had been enough of a nightmare and she didn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with any more unforeseen confessions. “You shouldn’t, Satoru.” 

She could feel his shoulders drop as if the weight of the world had just been put on him. She grabbed his hand beneath the table which caused his head to shoot back up immediately. It was strange for Toph to have someone respond to her this way. “You are a good person. A kind person. Any feelings you think you have for me would be misguided.” She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand and felt him shudder. Satoru’s heart was beating a million miles a minute from the simple intimate gesture and he didn’t want to let go of this feeling yet. He leaned forward and hesitated for a moment, giving Toph the opportunity to push him away but she remained still. Slowly, he bridged the gap between their mouths and planted a soft kiss on Toph’s lips. “Okay.” he breathed when he pulled away. 

Toph felt all the heat in her body rush to her face. She had never been kissed before by anyone. Let alone someone who had made their interest in her so clear from the moment they had met. She cleared her throat and turned away from him so their bodies weren’t so close. “Okay.” 

-

Sokka made his way back into the party, spotting Katara and Aang first. They were standing with their heads close together, whispering about something that seemed to have both of their interests. Sokka worried for a moment that they knew what had just occurred on the rooftop courtyard. However, when Katara spotted him her eyes held no evidence of unhappiness. In fact when she called her brother over she had a full blown smile on her face. “What’s going on?” Sokka questioned. 

Aang laughed a little, rubbing Katara between her shoulder blades in an effort to ease her overflowing enthusiasm. “We really shouldn’t gossip.” the avatar said somewhat cautiously. His moral code was usually admirable but right now Sokka rolled his eyes.

“Pretty sure the two of you were gossiping before I walked up.”

Aang blushed a bit. He felt badly that he was discussing someone else without their knowledge and worse still when he realized that Sokka was not going to walk away without being let in on it. The airbender looked down at Katara because he didn’t want to be the one to divulge any potential secrets. 

“Satoru just kissed Toph.” Katara whispered conspiratorially. A smile danced on her face and it was clear she was happy for her friend who, to the waterbender’s knowledge, had never been kissed. “I don't think I’ve ever seen Toph blush before but she was as pink as a lily bulb.” 

Sokka turned his attention to the table where his best friend sat. There was a fair distance between her and Satoru and she looked embarrassed. Sokka felt anger well up inside of him with incredible force. What if she hadn’t wanted to be kissed? “Why the hell did he do that?” Sokka spit out, unable to take his eyes off of the pair. 

Katara scoffed as if she couldn’t believe the question. “Have you seen Toph tonight?”

Of course Sokka had  _ seen  _ Toph. He had tried his hardest not to see her but she was making it nearly impossible in that dress. He pulled his eyes away from her and turned back to his sister, ignoring the question. “She’s a kid. He is way too old for her.” Sokka’s hands were balled up into fists at his sides. Aang reached out for his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder in an effort to ground him. Of course his sister had the opposite idea, letting out a genuine laugh.

“She is almost seventeen. She’s not a kid anymore and if she’s not upset that she received a kiss from a man who is so clearly interested in her, you shouldn’t be either. The protectiveness, it’s sweet, but Toph is mature enough to make her own decisions.” 

Sokka pushed Aang’s hand off of his shoulder, past the point of wanting to be soothed, especially when his sister seemed to be trying her hardest to piss him off. 

“Sokka, calm down.” Aang warned, a serious look in his eyes. “I’m the same age as Toph and you don’t argue about Katara and I being together.” 

The watertribe man wanted to argue that that was completely different, but he knew he would lose that argument quickly. “How can you both be okay with this?”

Katara stepped forward with an indignant look etched across her face. How dare her brother behave this way at an event that was meant to honor Toph? Who did he think he was to try to argue about her and Aang’s morals? She opened her mouth to tell Sokka as much but didn’t get the chance when Aang started speaking. “It’s not up to us to be okay with anything. Katara and I shared our first kiss four years ago. I’m pretty sure you were doing more than kissing Suki by the time you were Toph’s age.”

“This isn’t about me or you.” Sokka interrupted, not wanting to discuss Suki at this moment. It felt wrong to think about her when Toph was so prevalent in his mind. 

“Exactly.” Aang replied, any trace of his earlier smile gone. “So stop making it about you.”

Sokka flinched as if Aang had struck him. That wasn’t what he was trying to do. How was he supposed to react in this situation? His best friend had confessed feelings to him that he had been unaware of, feelings that affected him in a way that made him ashamed. Hadn’t he considered it for a moment as they stood on the rooftop; looked at her as a woman instead of the girl he had grown up with? He was equally as guilty as Satoru, he just hadn’t acted on it.. He couldn’t explain this to his sister or to Aang, he could barely even examine it himself. Toph opened herself up to him and he refused her. Sokka sighed in defeat. “You’re right, it’s none of my business.” 

_ And even if it had been, it wasn’t anymore. Not after you ruined everything up there.  _ Sokka tried to push the thought away, praying that it wasn’t true. He hoped that after this banquet he would have a moment to talk to Toph, to apologize for whatever hurt he had caused. Katara rubbed her brother’s shoulder and rewarded him with a small smile, not wanting to continue in an argument. Aang - who was always overflowing with empathy and forgiveness put the discussion behind him immediately. “I think it’s time we take our seats. We’re all at Toph’s table.” 

Sokka tried not to look as nervous as he felt as the group made their way over to the table. He knew Toph felt them approaching by the way her head dropped down. Satoru stood to acknowledge the avatar and Katara, bowing to each of them. They returned the bows and with a slight smile Aang took the engineer’s hand in his own to shake. “It’s good to see you again, Satoru.” 

“It is always an honor to see you and the lovely Katara.” he turned his attention to Sokka, “Welcome back. Toph said you might have left.”

Sokka turned to look at Toph who still had her head down. He ignored Satoru’s remarks instead directing his answer at his best friend. “I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

Katara complimented just how radiant Toph looked and the earthbender finally lifted her head, laughing a little. “Yeah, you both look great too.”

“Thanks, I was a little apprehensive about these robes, but..” Aang stopped himself, realizing that his friend couldn’t actually see them. He rolled his eyes and sat down in his chair. “Funny.” 

Katara took the seat next to the left of Aang which meant Sokka would have to sit by Satoru. He sighed quietly but made no objection. His sister laid her hand on top of Aang’s then turned her attention to Toph. “I’m so happy we get to be a part of this. We are all so proud of you.”

Toph’s painted lips turned up to form a slight smile. “I’m happy to have you here.” She turned toward Satoru who was quiet while she spoke to her friends. “All of you.”

Sokka had to look away when Satoru placed his hand on top of Toph’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi fellow Tokka lovers! This chapter is a little longer than usual but when I saw that the story had gotten a few kudos it motivated me to write a little extra for those of you who were enjoying it :) What do you think so far?


	4. Chapter 4

After two agonizing hours of speeches, musical acts and Toph all but ignoring him, Sokka was grateful that the banquet seemed to finally be coming to a close. Toph took to the stage to thank King Kuei for throwing the party in her honor and to challenge any talented earthbenders to come fight for a spot at her metalbending academy - there were a few spirited hollers and cheers at this - then returned to the table and stretched her arms out above her head. Sokka tried not to notice the swell of her breasts and she did so but next to her Satoru was clearly enjoying the view. The watertribe man was so grateful when his friend announced, “I’m getting tired and I think this thing’s almost over anyway.”

“Are you ready to go?” Satoru questioned, leaning in closer as if he was saying something private. Sokka almost laughed at the audacity of this man. He really thought she would go home with him? Sokka knew Toph was probably not his biggest fan right now but there was no way that she would choose Satoru over the friends who had literally traveled the world to see her.

“She’s leaving with us.” Sokka answered on her behalf. Katara shot him a warning look. Sokka pretended not to see it because he really wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. Satoru looked like he wanted to say something but he kept his lips pressed tightly together, looking at Toph for confirmation.

“They travel so much and they hardly get the chance to visit.” she spoke softly to Satoru. He nodded his head and grabbed her hand once more, turning it over and planting a kiss on her palm. The gesture was so intimate it made Sokka feel sick. Katara and Aang stood to leave, saying they would call for Appa but it was obvious they wanted to let Satoru and Toph have a moment alone to say their goodbyes. Sokka pushed away from the table and walked outside ahead of them but didn’t go to their pickup area, instead hovering by the doors. He watched his sister and her boyfriend walk out without noticing him, but they weren’t who he was waiting for. After a few moments, which felt like forever when he imagined what they might be filled with, he spotted her. Thankfully she had shaken free of the leech who had been attached to her all night. 

He stepped out from the shadows and knew by the way her body tensed up that she had recognized his footsteps. She continued walking forward without acknowledging him. He followed behind her, catching up quickly. “Toph, we need to talk.”

“About what?” 

“About tonight and everything that happened. What you said to me.” Sokka replied. He had to open up his strides to keep up with how fast Toph was walking. They would be to Aang and Katara shortly if she kept moving at this pace. Sokka guessed that was her intention.

“No we don’t.” Toph’s tone was serious. As far as she was concerned that part of the night had never happened. Sokka tried to grab her shoulder but she felt it coming and moved out of his reach. The man sighed in exasperation. 

“Could you at least slow down?” he pleaded, wondering to himself how she could move so quickly in that damned figure-hugging dress. “Please, give me one minute.”

She stopped moving so abruptly that he almost slammed into the back of her. He was about to thank her for this small concession but when she whirled around to face him she looked less than pleased. “I don’t want to talk to you, Sokka. I don’t have anything left to say for tonight. Or any night if this is the subject matter you want to discuss. What part of’ forget I ever said anything’ is confusing for you?” 

Sokka was taken aback by her words. “I think it’s a little unrealistic to expect me to forget.”

Toph sighed and started walking towards their destination again, but this time not like she was being chased by a sabertooth moose lion. “I’m not talking about this anymore. Move on.” 

Aang and Katara became visible as they continued down the path. Toph could feel that Appa had just landed as well and was grateful that she wouldn’t have to spend much more time alone with the man who had shattered her heart. Of course, he was determined to make the most out of their dwindling private time. “Move on?” he scoffed, “What does that even look like to you? Is this how things are going to be between us? You are my best friend and I am so sorry for-”

“I need some space.” Toph interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. Sokka stopped talking immediately, his eyes wide.  _ What?  _ He was surprised his body continued to move forward when it felt like the rest of the world had frozen around him. 

“What do you mean space?” his voice wavered as he asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to. 

“Some time away from you.” Despite the grave words, her voice was soft. “Just a little time to clear my head and get over this without you right beside me trying to talk everything to death.”

Sokka felt his throat tightening up and realized he would have to fight the urge to break down in front of her. Toph had never in her life asked to be away from him. Back when the war was still raging on, when the foursome all traveled together as Team Avatar, Toph and him were a matched set. Inseparable. He didn’t know how to be here with her but not have her by his side. He wanted to apologize, he wanted to promise not to ever bring it up again, he wanted to beg her to change her mind but he couldn’t do those things. If she was asking him for space, for time, he knew she really needed it. She was still his best friend even if he wasn’t hers right now and he wanted her to be okay. He was afraid if he pushed her now he might lose her forever and that was a much worse fate. “Alright.” He wanted to say more but he didn’t trust his own voice. The two said nothing else as they joined the others. Sokka turned to help Toph up onto Appa but let his hands fall to his side. 

“Aang, a little help up?” Toph asked. Aang looked at Sokka with some confusion. In all their years of traveling together the earthbender had never asked him for assistance. She was incredibly self-sufficient and in the rare instance that she needed any help she would turn to the watertribe man who currently couldn’t meet his eyes. Aang decided to file that under the ‘things to ask about later’ portion of his brain, lifting Toph up easily with a gust of air. He watched as Sokka pulled himself up and over the side of the saddle. The man moved to sit next to Toph but changed his mind at the last minute, awkwardly shuffling towards the center of the saddle. Toph gripped onto the side so tight her knuckles lost color. Katara looked at her with concern and tried to turn to Sokka for non-verbal answers only to discover his head was down. The waterbender wondered if Sokka’s overprotective behavior had truly upset Toph and wanted to ask questions but decided it wasn’t the best time. Instead she sat down next to Toph, linking their arms together. Whatever had happened between her brother and the earthbender, Katara didn’t want her friend to feel uneasy on the ride back to her home. 

“You don’t have to-” Toph started to say but Katara interrupted her with a  _ tsk tsk _ .

“I am here for purely selfish reasons, rest assured. I want to hear about your kiss with Satoru.” Katara felt some of the tension leave Toph’s body - she hated pity or anything she perceived as such. Toph also hated talking about herself but it was better than sitting in silence replaying her stupid confession over and over again in her mind. She realized she must have taken too long to answer because Katara probed, “Well? Was it that bad?” 

Toph thought it over for a minute. Had it been bad? It had certainly been unexpected. “No, it was just...new. I haven’t ever…” she trailed off, a little embarrassed to admit that it was her first kiss.

Katara smiled at her friend. “It looked very sweet. He really seems to care for you.”

Toph shrugged her shoulders. A few feet over, Sokka was trying his hardest not to listen. _ Why did her first kiss have to be with that guy?  _ Sokka wondered. An intrusive thought pushed to the forefront of his mind.  _ It could have been with you if you wouldn’t have turned her down _ . Sokka dismissed this immediately. Maybe some space between the earthbender and himself wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Of course it would be painful, but it would give him time to realize that any strange feelings he was having for Toph were just the result of not seeing her for six months. She had grown and changed so much during that time - he was just confused and needed to get his head on straight. Whatever jealousy he might have felt towards Satoru was surely just because the engineer was occupying his best friend’s time - nothing more. Sokka hoped if he told himself this enough it would straighten out any mixed up emotions he was having. 

-

Toph didn’t argue when her servants insisted they help her out of her gown. After they removed the minimal makeup she had on she thanked them again and sent them to their sleeping chambers for the night. Once she was alone she climbed into her large and plush bed. The vibrations, and therefore her seismic sense, were muted as she laid back and stared sightlessly at the top of her canopy. She didn’t want to think about that fateful conversation on the rooftop courtyard but it played in her mind continuously. The words she let tumble out, Sokka’s hand touching her face so tenderly. She really thought he was going to kiss her. What an absolute fool she was.

And then there was Satoru; the man who had actually kissed her. It wasn’t something she thought would happen but it hadn’t been unpleasant. His touch was gentle, something she was unaccustomed to after years of slamming rock or metal into both her students and her enemies alike. She told the man any feelings he thought he had for her were a mistake and he responded by kissing her. Perhaps Satoru was as big of a fool as she was. Maybe they wouldn’t be the worst pair. Now that she knew for sure, after years of agonizing uncertainty, that Sokka didn’t feel that way for her - would never feel that way for her - she could finally move on. 

For years she had fantasized about what it might be like to tell him how she felt and although a part of her foolishly thought he might reciprocate, now she could begin to let those feelings go. She could move on from the childish crush and just be his best friend again. Toph felt a tear roll down the side of her face. Then another. She let out a shaky breath. She allowed herself this moment of unadulterated sadness as she finally released something that she had carried with her for so long. She would never admit it to anyone but it was kind of therapeutic to cry. As each tear slid down her face it took a little bit of her pain away with it. Toph wasn’t one to dwell on things she couldn’t change and she knew this would be no different. 

Tomorrow morning she would go and train her students and she resolved to put this all behind her by the time she returned home from practice in the late afternoon. She would come in and ask the gang what they wanted for dinner and even if it still hurt a bit, she would sit down next to Sokka. She would pretend that everything was perfectly fine and in time she knew it would be. There was no reason to waste the limited time she had with her friends moping around the house. The worst had already happened - Sokka rejected her. She cried in front of him like a fool. It could really only go up from here.

-

Down the hall Sokka laid in his bed restlessly. He tried to keep his eyes open because every time they closed he saw something he didn’t want to. The tears in Toph’s eyes. Her body in that dress. Satoru’s hand over hers. His mouth pressed against her ear. Sokka even envisioned the engineer claiming his friend’s first kiss. He was grateful he hadn’t actually seen it happen, but his imagination seemed hell-bent to give him a few possible variations. Had the engineer held her face the same way Sokka had on the rooftop? Had Toph leaned into the kiss? Did she want to do it again? 

He knew it was none of his business and that he had to let these thoughts go if he didn’t want to lose her forever. He dared to imagine for a moment that he already had. What if she never saw him as her best friend again? What if she decided at some point during their space apart that she didn’t need him in her life at all? Even the idea of it was too much to bear. Sokka sat up in bed, switching on the lamp next to his bed when he realized he wasn’t going to fall asleep any time soon. He needed to take his mind off of this and think about something else. He got out of bed and walked over towards the small desk in the corner of the room. Small was of course relative here since everything else in the house was so big. Had that been Satoru’s call? Sokka shook his head hoping it would help him shake these intrusive thoughts. He opened the desk drawer, finding paper and ink with ease. He unraveled a scroll and began to write. **Dear Suki, I feel like it’s been forever since I last saw your face.** The man wrote until he finally began to tire, grateful that he was able to pen the letter he had been meaning to for a few weeks as well as distract himself thoroughly enough to get some sleep. He rolled the scroll back up and tied it closed, hoping he would remember to give it to a messenger hawk tomorrow morning. Once he climbed back into bed he was asleep within minutes.

-

Toph woke up earlier than usual in an effort to avoid running into her friends before she left for the academy. She had cried a bit more (and slept a bit less) than she expected to and couldn’t tell if her appearance would give that away. Not wanting to take any chances she left before she felt any other footsteps puttering around. When she strode into the academy before the sun was up, her students looked around at one another in shock. Toph wasn’t half as well renowned for her punctuality as she was for her affinity to sleep in. What, her students wondered, had they possibly done wrong to warrant such an early appearance from her. Some of the smarter students wiped the shocked looks off of their faces and one from that group stepped forward and gave a slight bow. “Sifu Toph, good morning.”

“Is it?” Toph asked with a smirk spreading out across her face.

She could hear some of the muted groans around her and even feel a few heartbeats accelerating in anticipation. Although she wanted to laugh at their reactions she kept a straight face as she walked towards the center of the room, silence falling upon each person she passed by. Everything about Toph’s presence commanded respect. Everyone began forming a circle around her. They all wanted to hear every word she had to say, afraid to miss anything that could give them an advantage. She liked how competitive her students were. In fact, it was one of the things she considered before agreeing to take anyone into the academy. In Toph’s mind, if someone didn’t want to study under her more than anything then they didn’t deserve the honor. The young woman decided to play on this today, although the thought behind it was something she had been toying with for a while.

“Who here thinks they are the best metalbender in the room?” she asked.

You could hear a lightning bug land on a feather in here, the room was so silent. Toph laughed a little and amended, “Other than me, of course.”

The volume rose to a hum as some of the men started to proclaim their own prowess. She let them talk amongst themselves for a few seconds then lifted her hand. The room fell into silence again. 

“Are those of you who spoke up willing to fight to prove your worth?” Toph asked.

She could feel the energy buzzing around the room, the excitement, the nerves, the eagerness to be noticed by their teacher. “I am looking for leaders. Two students who can lead sessions and follow the plans I’ve left behind when I have other obligations. These two would receive my favor. They would train with me privately and serve as ambassadors at any recruitment activity or public event the school is invited to.”

Now the room erupted in noise. What she was offering was too good for her students to pass up. A private lesson with their teacher would be enough of a reason to fight, but the ability to lead sessions? To accompany her to or even stand in her place at important events? The connections that could be made throughout the city - throughout the Earth Kingdom - were immeasurable. Everyone wanted the opportunity to prove themselves now. Toph raised a rock bench out from the earth beneath her and took a seat, the smirk from earlier cemented on her face now. “All this talking…” she began, “I’d rather feel some action. If you’re standing to my left, you’re in one group. My right, another.” 

Toph loved the idea of a good fighting tournament almost more than she liked hearing these idiots argue with one another about who was the best. She already had an idea about who would win, but she was open to being surprised. Perhaps it was the Blind Bandit speaking from within her when she said, “Pair up within your groups. If you win your match you will progress to the next. Whoever is left standing on each side at the end of this will be our winners.” 

Both groups established their brackets quickly. She was impressed by the pairs they chose for each match, most of them what she herself would have chosen, but she wouldn’t tell them this. She gave praise sparingly. She thought back to when she first started training Aang and how rough she was with him, laughing when she recalled how perturbed Katara had been about her teaching style. Once Toph started to reminisce it was hard to stop. She had half her mind focused on the sparring happening in front of her and the other half was recalling so many of the adventures she’d be on with her friends during the days of Team Avatar. Almost all of these included Sokka by her side. 

She had no idea how long this went on before a large thud broke her from her thoughts. One of her most skilled students had been thrown from the sparring area. “Pa Li, I’m disappointed. I thought you’d go much further.” He muttered out an apology to his Sifu, genuinely upset with himself for being knocked out in only the third round. Toph shrugged her shoulders and connected both feet to the ground, taking a look around the room. Only six students left on each side and they weren’t all who she expected. She liked being wrong about this sort of thing - for people to surprise her with their own strength and determination. “Carry on.” Toph said when she realized everyone was standing still waiting for her to say more. The matches went on for nearly two more hours; her students fought with so much passion and intensity she was actually a bit impressed. In spare moments, Toph reflected more on her travels with her friends. 

She loved Sokka for more than whatever embarrassing romantic feelings she had developed over the years. He had been her closest friend, her confidant, even (and she would never admit this) her protector at times. When Toph had seen her father for the first time after running away and Lao had denied her, Sokka had vehemently gone after him, shouting that the older man was a liar in front of all his business associates. Sokka had visited with Toph privately after and she had cried softly as he held her. She made him swear never to tell anyone and he never had. Next, she remembered the fear she felt as Sokka held onto her during the invasion of the Fire Nation. The flames everywhere - she could still feel the heat as she thought back - no connection to the earth, completely unaware of how high up they were or what she would fall into if he let her go. She remembered the way his voice shook as he told her he thought this might be it; the tears she shed when she realized that it was probably true. And then, strangely, the comfort she felt knowing that at least she would die with the person she loved the most. 

That was over four years ago but even now the sentiment remained true. Sokka was her best friend and he always would be. It would take longer than a day for the other feelings to fade completely but for now she was fine pushing them to the side, focused on enjoying her friends while she had them here. When the matches came to an end Toph stood to congratulate the winners and acknowledged the efforts of the entire academy. She decided to give her new ambassadors their first private training sessions and dismissed everyone else for the day. She spent half an hour with each of them then advised them to be at the academy by sunrise tomorrow to lead the daily lessons without her.

“Where will you be?” Lee, a man who had made her space rock bracelet vibrate powerfully when she had first crossed paths with him, asked her with some confusion. She never missed a lesson. Kyo, a fierce earthbender who had stood outside the academy every day for three weeks when Toph had told her there were no spots available two years ago, nudged her fellow ambassador in the ribs. 

“Normally I wouldn’t answer such a question from a student, but you two are a notch above the rest. I haven’t taken a full day off since the academy opened and I have friends in town. You and Kyo are more than capable of leading lessons in my absence.” 

Toph could feel the excitement radiating off of the pupils that stood before her. She congratulated them once more before dismissing them as well. She took a few moments to restore the academy to its usual appearance, bending away any damage that had occurred during the tournament, then locked the doors behind her as she left. Her walk home was light and quick, as opposed to the sluggish heaviness she had felt in her heart this morning. Within a few short moments she was lifting herself up the steep hill in front of her house and moving the metal front door away with a small wave of her hand. She could feel that Aang and Katara were in the back garden with Appa but was confused when she realized Sokka wasn’t with them. She wondered if he was even here at all until she felt him step out of his bed. She made her way down the hall and knocked when she was in front of his door. 

“Katara, I told you I don’t feel well, please just leave me-”

“It’s not Katara.” Toph interjected.

The door swung open so quickly that it created a breeze. Sokka didn’t really know what the right thing to say was so he waited for his closest friend to take the lead. “Can I come in?” the earthbender asked and he stepped to the side immediately to allow her through. He watched her as she walked past him, noticing now what he hadn’t before, that even in this training uniform she had curves in places they’d never existed before. She sat down on the bed in the room and Sokka could feel his heart pounding as he pushed away unwelcome thoughts. “So..” he started just as Toph opened her mouth. She closed it and waited for him to continue but he did the same so they sat in silence for another minute. 

“Since when do you sleep until four in the afternoon?” she finally asked, pulling at a loose string on her uniform. Sokka wondered if she was as nervous as he felt. What was he supposed to answer? He couldn’t tell her that she had filled his dreams and nightmares. That he had envisioned them sharing intimate moments but had also envisioned her walking away from him forever. He wasn’t sure which one he should feel worse about. He decided on partial honesty.

“I don’t know how to answer you.”

Toph had unraveled part of the lower hem of her uniform top by pulling at the loose string so much. She ripped the piece away fully then lifted her head. “Answer me however you want.”

Sokka sighed, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing and make you run away from me.” 

Toph scoffed, “I don’t run away from anyone.”

Sokka closed the space between them, sitting down next to her in the bed. Toph felt her pulse quicken at his sudden closeness.  _ It’s fine, you’re fine.  _ Just two friends sitting next to each other, no big deal. “It’s probably not fair of me to say this because you asked for space and I want to respect that. It’s just - I miss you so much. I’ve been missing you for months and being here in your home and knowing that I have to leave you alone...I couldn’t even get out of bed today until I heard the front door open and knew you were back. I laid here for hours thinking about everything we have been through and hoping I hadn’t fucked everything up forever.” 

Toph closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wished she could hear these words and not feel an ache in her heart, but she knew the only thing that would mend that feeling was time. He was her best friend and he was being vulnerable with her and she wanted to give him honesty in return. “I miss you too.”

Sokka looked at her and could see the pain on her face as she said the words. He turned to face her on the bed and he noticed the way her body tensed up a little. “Toph I am so sorry about last night.”

She stood from the bed quickly. “It’s really fine.” She didn’t want him to know how much it hurt to have to think about it again so she laughed slightly. “It was stupid. I was stupid. I honestly should have let go of it a long time ago so it’s good that now I finally can.” 

The watertribe man stayed seated on the bed but looked up at the beautiful and sad figure in front of him and wanted to go to her. “You are not stupid.” His voice was soft and it made Toph’s heart ache even more. She really needed to get out of this room. 

“Anyway, I came in here to say that I’m fine and I don’t need any more space. I want to enjoy the time I have with my friends while you are all here. If we could just...not ever talk about last night again, I would appreciate that.” 

Sokka wanted to do whatever Toph needed but a part of him knew that he would never let go of the memory of the previous night. He knew he would think about it again and again whether he wanted to or not. “If that’s what you want.”

Toph nodded and turned to walk out of the room. She stopped at the door and with her back still to him said “I want to go out and get some dinner. I need to shower and change but meet me at the front in a half hour if you want to come. Tell the others too please.”

"Okay." Sokka watched her until the door closed. He threw himself back on the bed, holding his face in his hands. This is what he wanted so why on earth did he feel so sad about it? 


	5. Chapter 5

Toph stripped out of her training clothes and stepped into the steaming shower, hanging her head as the hot water washed over her. She had accomplished almost all of what she had set out to do this morning. Would it really be so bad if she decided not to sit next to Sokka at dinner? She wanted to be his friend more than anything and yet it was hard to ignore the way her body responded when he was near her. The way her heart immediately started to pound when he sat down beside her on the bed a few moments earlier? It was unbearable. On the other hand, attempting to avoid contact with him completely would only make it that much harder to endure it when he inevitably came close again. The only way to get over this foolish feeling was to push through it.

She washed the sweat and grime from her body that came along with a hard workout. She thought back on her previous aversion to baths and it made her smile a little. Before she would have done anything to be seen as strong and fierce. She didn’t want to look like the perfectly weak Beifong daughter her parents tried to make her out to be and refusing to clean herself as a kid made her feel like she had some control. Now that she was older, and more powerful than ever, she didn’t need the protection that a thin layer of dirt used to provide for her. No one questioned her strength.

Once she was finished washing her body she began to lather a sweet smelling soap into her hair. Without her signature bun, her tresses fell in waves down her back and over her shoulders. She rinsed this out too and turned the water off, stepping out from behind the partition and grabbing the towel she had placed on the counter. She made quick work of drying off and applied a small amount of lotion to her legs and arms. The work she did was grueling and it used to leave her with cracks and cuts everywhere until her servant brought her some of this magical gunk that left Toph almost as good as new. She had protested against using it initially but she liked the way it soothed her skin and continued to use it on occasion. 

Honestly, she wanted to use as much time as she could in the washroom to avoid having to talk to Sokka alone again before the dinner. She needed these moments to herself in order to stay grounded - to keep herself from slipping back into the complicated feelings she possessed for the watertribe man. Toph combed through her hair and decided to leave it down for the night. When there was nothing left for her to do in the washroom, she made her way back into her bedroom and pulled some clothes out of her wardrobe. She dressed in a simple green tunic, pairing it with cream colored pants. All she knew about the outfit was that it was comfortable. Her fingers skimmed over the space rock that she wore high on her left arm and she debated whether to keep it on or not. For so many years she had read into why Sokka had decided to give it to her, thinking - or hoping, more accurately - that there was a deeper meaning behind the action. Now that she knew for sure there wasn’t, it was almost embarrassing to recall just how grandiose her delusions were. But that was all over now and she could recognize the space rock for what it was, a nice gift from one friend to another. She left it on.

-

Sokka invited his sister and Aang to the dinner then headed back inside to get ready himself. He washed his body quickly then did the same with his hair before pulling it back into his wolf tail. After he got dressed in fresh clothes he decided he would go ahead to the front in case Toph came out early. He figured the best way to get things back to normal was just to behave as normally as possible and that would include wanting to meet up with Toph before any event started. By the time he made it to the foyer he had only used sixteen minutes of the allotted time. He stood awkwardly by the front door for a couple of minutes before he took a seat on one of the comfortable couches in the sitting room. Finally, after fourteen additional minutes of anticipation he heard Toph’s bedroom door open. She walked out dressed in a dark green tunic that ended a few inches below the curve of her backside. The tan pants worn underneath were as tight as the top itself and Sokka admired Toph for a quick moment before turning away.  _ Normal. No leering.  _ Aang and Katara appeared in the living room from the door leading to the garden. 

“About ready to go?” the airbender called out, leaning in the doorway but not entering the house.

“I’m starving. Ready when you are.” Sokka answered, turning his body to face Aang rather than to look towards the girl next to him.

Toph nodded and headed towards the backdoor in response. Sokka followed a safe distance behind her and watched her to see if she would want his help onto Appa. Her hand reached out hesitantly but Sokka took the chance and closed the distance between them, boosting her up onto the flying bison. He tried not to allow his hands to linger on her waist for too long. She thanked him quietly once she was situated in the saddle. He sat down next to her and hummed in response. Toph was glad he left a little space between them but she could feel his knee inches from hers. She straightened her folded legs out in front of her casually enough that she hoped the gesture seemed unconscious. 

Katara had her arm linked together with Aang’s as he held onto the reins. He guided them through the city easily and the waterbender admired how handsome her boyfriend looked when he was in his element like this. At ease and in control. “Where are we going for dinner?” she asked, looking back towards her brother and Toph. It was usually up to that duo to choose the spot where the group would eat seeing as they were the most likely to complain if they didn’t enjoy the food. Aang would be fine anywhere as long as there was a vegetarian option and Katara would be happy anywhere she could eat a meal with this group of people.

“That noodle house we went to last time you all were in town.” 

“Oh, yum.” Katara leaned her head against Aang’s shoulder and huddled in a little closer with the airbender. She thought about the telegram she had received earlier today from the South Pole. The plans to extract oil from the massive deposit that was discovered beneath the recently redeveloped village were almost complete. Her father, Chief Hakoda, had sent word that there was to be a major celebration commemorating the successful collaboration between their village and Earthen Fire Industries. Katara shared the news with Aang immediately as he was with her when the telegram came through. Sokka on the other hand hadn’t seemed as excited as Katara expected him to be when she made him aware of the note. Usually her brother was eager to return to their home but he had only asked when they were due to leave and when Katara told him a few days he had sighed then closed the door, returning back to the bed where he spent most of his day. She didn’t know what to make of his reaction. 

At the back of the saddle, Sokka was sneaking looks at Toph. He wondered if she would be relieved when they told her that they were leaving again in a few days. He even thought for a moment of asking her to come with them. Would she say yes? I mean it was an event celebrating the progress made in the South Pole with the help of her father’s company and she was an executive partner after all. 

More lights from the city came into view and Aang guided Appa towards an open patch of land as the group made their descent. The restaurant was a short walk from the field and once the owner spotted Toph, with the Avatar and friends in tow, she led the foursome to a private table near the back of the restaurant. A young waiter walked up to the table a moment later with their drinks and asked what they would like to eat for the night. Toph took the lead and ordered food for the entire group. The waiter returned with plenty of noodles for the table, tofu for Aang, a meat platter for Sokka as well as tentacle soup which the earthbender had ordered with Katara in mind. Toph could tell by how quickly her friends were working through their plates that they were enjoying the food. 

Katara dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “This was a great pick, Toph. I’m so grateful we all have this moment together.” 

Aang nodded in agreement, taking a drink of his water before adding, “Especially since we will have to leave so soon.” 

Sokka examined Toph carefully, gauging her reaction in order to decide whether or not it was likely she would agree to come along with them. She lowered her utensils from her mouth and lifted her head in Aang’s direction curiously. “How soon?” 

“We just received a telegram from Hakoda inviting us to come celebrate the successful partnership between the Southern Water Tribe and Earthen Fire Industries.”

Toph nodded as she listened to the avatar’s words. She pushed some sea prunes to the edge of her plate, more disinterested than ever in eating them. “Satoru mentioned something about that.” 

She recalled the man saying he would be leaving first thing this morning for a trip down to the South Pole. She couldn’t remember how long he said he would be gone - this whole discussion took place at the banquet only a few minutes after Sokka had rejected her. Now she wished she had paid a little more attention so she wouldn’t have to ask any questions now. 

Sokka watched as the earthbender pushed her food around her plate absentmindedly. She seemed disconnected from the others at the table and he wondered what was occupying her mind. Was she thinking back to the previous night with Satoru? Had the engineer already invited her to come along? The watertribe man wished that Toph would say more but she remained quiet as Katara explained they would be able to spend two more days in town before heading out. Sokka spent plenty of time in the South Pole but some of his favorite memories there were from the time that Toph accompanied them. She had complained about the snow and the cold but it was fun to be able to show his best friend the place where he came from. With all of the upgrades and expansions, it was hardly the tiny village he had grown up in, but despite the significant changes it would always be his home - a land that held both his brightest and darkest memories within its borders. Sharing it with Toph was special for him and he hoped she might consider returning. He thought over the best way to ask her to come.

“You think you might be able to take tomorrow off from training?” Aang asked, capturing a piece of tofu between his chopsticks and dipping it into the marinade that came with it. He let the excess sauce drip off before placing the food in his mouth. The airbender was somewhat surprised when Toph expressed that she had already taken the day off. He figured some sort of persuasion would be required for Toph to even consider taking time away from her academy.

“My students competed in a tournament today and the two winners are going to serve as ambassadors for me. Part of their duties will be to teach in my absence.” Toph delineated.

This news came as a surprise to Sokka as well. Toph didn’t really delegate. She preferred to do everything herself especially when it came to her metalbending academy.

“What prompted this?” Katara asked the question on everyone’s minds.

Toph shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about taking some time off for awhile.” 

That was all Sokka needed to hear before the words were tumbling from his mouth, “You should come with us then.” He hoped his words sounded no different than they had the countless other times he’d uttered this phrase. Aang and Katara both assented to this in joyful tones. 

Sokka’s eyes remained on Toph as he waited for her answer. The corners of her mouth pulled up in a smile and she turned her head in her best friend’s direction. “I couldn’t just leave..” she argued weakly, but he could tell by the sound of her voice that she wanted to come. 

“You wouldn’t just be leaving. You said yourself you have two skilled students who can lead the others when you’re away. We will be gone for a few weeks at most. Aang, Katara and I discussed spending time in the Earth Kingdom for your birthday anyway which is right around the corner so we would be back here before you know it. This would only be a little vacation for you.” The watertribe man didn’t care if he sounded desperate or overzealous at this point. He allowed himself to think of all the extra time he would be able to spend with his best friend if she agreed to come.

Toph considered everything Sokka was saying. It was true, her students would be in good hands while she was gone. She knew her academy would continue to run smoothly even in her absence. Her metalbending students all took their studies seriously and they were acutely aware that disappointing their Sifu in any way would have devastating consequences. After six months on her own, the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with her friend’s was too good to pass up. “I’d better pack then.”

-

Toph spent the next few days preparing for her trip. In between meeting with her father to discuss her responsibilities as executive partner to Earthen Fire Industries, establishing and going over lesson plans with her ambassadors, and packing for the weeks she was to spend away - Toph still managed to find time to get into some mischief with Sokka throughout the city of Yu Dao before it was time for their departure. After successfully carrying out several schemes and pranks together, Toph was starting to feel like things really could go back to normal between her and her closest friend. She laid in bed on her last night in the Earth Kingdom, going over the agenda for her South Pole trip over and over in her head. True to his nature, Sokka created a vacation plan packed with all of the activities they could do as well as all the different restaurants he wanted her to try with him. His hometown had expanded even more since the last time Toph visited and he was pretty pumped to be able to show her the new additions.

Down the hall in his room, Sokka was having a hard time falling asleep. Knowing that in a few short hours he would be headed for his favorite place in the world, and this time with Toph by his side for the ride, was beyond exciting. He’d made multiple lists and diagrams in order to work out how to best maximize the time he had with his best friend. He knew there would be plenty of adventures for them to get into, especially since the celebration they were invited to coincided with the Spirits Friendship Festival. It made creating his plan that much easier. So far everything was falling into place perfectly and with that thought Sokka finally closed his eyes and attempted sleep. 

-

“I forgot how much fun it was spending so much time up in the sky. With no connection to the earth.” Toph huffed grumpily. They had been traveling for almost two full days and were close to arriving in the South Pole but the ride felt endless to the earthbender who was wrapping her coat tighter around herself. Sokka slid closer to her, hoping a little additional body heat would provide her some comfort. 

Aang, who was cuddled up with Katara near the front of the saddle, turned around with a playful smile on his face. “It's a connection to the earth you’re craving?” The airbender adjusted the reins in his hands, angling them back so that Appa started a steep descent. 

Toph felt her stomach drop from out beneath her and she reached out wildly for something to hold onto as her body began leaning forward. Her right hand connected with the muscle of Sokka’s chest and she grasped his coat there as tightly as her fingers would permit. The watertribe man wrapped his left arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him protectively. “I’ve got you.” 

Sokka saw how flushed Toph’s face was and knew she wasn’t happy about the airbender’s intentional crash landing. Aang gave a little slack to the reins and Appa straightened out in response, descending more steadily. “Hands slipped, I’m sorry.” he chuckled.

When they were all on solid ground again Toph breathed out a sigh of relief. Aang thought he had gotten away with his little stunt until a rock column shot up from beneath the snow path where he was walking, shooting him several meters up in the air. He recovered his balance, landing back on his feet and coughing a little at the sudden impact. “Hand slipped.” Toph smiled, waving the column away once it had served its purpose. 

“Could we avoid injuring one another until we make it into the village at least?” Katara rolled her eyes and continued down the path that led into the village she used to call home. As huge buildings came into view, with Satoru’s recently designed forklifts moving between them, she realized sadly it would never be the same place it had been when she was a girl. She turned to look back at Sokka who seemed more fascinated than horrified by all of the recent developments. Their little village had become a buzzing city in just a few short years. When she spotted Gran Gran standing outside of her home, Katara smiled. At least there was one thing left unchanged. 

-

After visiting with Gran Gran the gang went to meet with Hakoda. He said they would all stay with him in the Chieftain's home which was more like a palace than a house. Katara and Aang went down one hallway towards their individual rooms while Sokka guided Toph down another hall of sleeping chambers. He showed her to her room, placing her luggage by the bed before turning to her with excitement clear on his face. “Day one of the ultimate vacation has to start strong.”

Toph groaned a little, wanting desperately to lay down on the huge bed in front of her and rest. All the traveling was exhausting but she wouldn’t say no to Sokka when she could tell how much this meant to him. “How strong are we talking?” 

He clapped his hands together and whooped, “That’s the spirit! Let’s go.”

She allowed herself to be guided out of the palace and felt herself growing less comfortable as the snow they were walking through got much deeper. She didn’t like what the snow did to her seismic sense, her surroundings becoming less clear around her. Sokka knew this and stayed close enough to her so she could see him well. Toph didn’t say a word for almost ten minutes as they walked deeper into the snow bank. He wondered what was on her mind but knew it was best not to pry. In these situations, he waited for her to tell him what it was she needed. “Are you bringing me out here to kill me?” Toph’s voice was flat but it was obviously a joke. 

Sokka laughed, nudging her with his elbow, “Hmm, you think I have a shot?” 

The earthbender chuckled softly. “With all this snow?” she pretended to think about it for a moment then elbowed him back with more force than necessary, “Not a chance. I can take you without my bending.” 

Sokka rubbed his ribs a little as he smiled down at the raven haired girl next to him. He wondered if that was true. Sure, Toph was one of the most powerful benders in the world but he figured he might have an advantage out here surrounded by the ice and snow he grew up with. “I brought you out here to go penguin sledding. Don’t make me kick your ass just to prove to you that I can.” 

Even with her impaired sense, Toph could practically feel the smirk on his face. She swung in that direction, grazing his cheek with her fist as he leaned away laughing. It was dulled, but she could feel him rotate so he was standing directly in front of her. “That’s all you got?” he taunted, settling into a fighting stance. Toph sent her foot forward, smirking right along with him as she made contact with his chest. He lost his balance and landed on his back. He scrambled to his feet quickly, shuffling through the snow with light steps. She thought she had him but when she punched forward hard, she connected with only the bitter air.  _ Stupid snow messing with my vision.  _ She waited for his smug laugh so she could locate him again but he was quiet. 

“Hiding now, are we?” she baited, arms raised defensively in front of her. 

Sokka had all but disappeared and for a brief moment Toph worried that he was hurt. It was then that the watertribe man materialized next to her, hooking his arm beneath her shoulder, stepping in and flipping her over. She landed on her back hard, panting from the impact and the surprise. Sokka pinned her with his full weight on her upper body, putting his lips near her ear to gloat, “More like lying in wait.” 

Her pink lips parted slightly and the gasp that fell from between them was a noise Sokka had never heard her make. The sound left him frozen in place, unsure what to say or do next. Toph shivered but it wasn’t from the cold. 

A shout broke through the silence. “What the hell is going on?” 

Sokka thawed out when he realized who the voice belonged to, lifting his head to locate the figure running down the snow bank towards them. Satoru clumsily tripped his way through the snow as Sokka pushed himself up and away from Toph. The engineer shot him a callous look then lifted Toph to her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, brushing snow off her back. 

Toph cleared her throat and nodded. “Everything is fine.” She brushed away a patch of snow Sokka had left on her stomach. “How did you know I was down here already?”

Satoru looked a little embarrassed. “I, uh, your dad told me when you were due to arrive. I went looking for you at the Chieftain’s place but Katara told me that you and Sokka would be here...penguin sledding.” The engineer glanced at Sokka as he finished his sentence, saying the last two words like an accusation. Sokka didn’t care much for it. 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “We hadn’t gotten around to it yet.” 

Satoru focused his attention back on Toph. “Earthen Fire Industries is having a meeting in fifteen minutes to go over the details of the oil extraction plan. I thought maybe you would want to be there for it since you’re an executive partner.” 

Toph was still a bit dazed and simply nodded again. Satoru put his hand on her lower back and started leading her towards the village. She stopped and looked back when she realized she hadn’t said anything to Sokka. “Um, raincheck?”

“Yeah. When you’re done with your work thing I’ll find you.” 

Sokka watched as Satoru slung his arm dangerously low around Toph’s waist, holding her close to him as they walked. Satoru looked over Toph’s shoulder and made eye contact with Sokka before squeezing her hip possessively and turning away. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? It wasn’t enough that he got to see Toph every day in Yu Dao, but now he was whisking her away even here in the South Pole? What made it worse was that she seemed to be going right along with it, first by accepting his kiss at the banquet and now by allowing him to grab her so intimately. She could have knocked him away in a second if she wanted to but she didn’t. I mean, did she honestly like this guy? 

Sokka kicked the snow angrily then made his way back towards his dad’s home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Just wanted to say how much I love logging on and seeing your comments :) It really motivates me to sit down and write even on days when I'm not feeling like my best self. Hope this chapter was good. I know it might seem like it's moving slow, but this is a work that I see having quite a few chapters so I'm not rushing to cram it all in there. Some exciting stuff coming soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It had been almost two hours since Sokka had seen Toph last and he was growing more annoyed with each passing moment. He kicked his boots off and laid back on one of the large luxurious couches in the sitting room which was adjacent to the front door. He tried to convince himself that he was just taking a rest but he knew he was waiting for his best friend to walk in. Finally, after he closed his eyes and started to doze, the front door opened. He sat up quickly and looked towards the entryway. His favorite earthbender walked in - alone, thankfully. He didn’t know if he could stand having Satoru here too, in his home. Toph removed the thick coat she wore and hung it up at the rack near the door before advancing into the sitting room. Sokka waited for her to say something. She had been uncharacteristically quiet after their wrestling match and he wondered if she was thinking about the sound she made as much as he was. 

His eyes followed her body as she stepped closer, widening a bit when she sat down next to him on the couch. There were three other identical couches in the room and usually Toph was one to want personal space when she could have it. She leaned her head against his shoulder and pulled a small blanket from the back of the couch in order to cover her now bare feet. “Cold?” he asked dumbly. She hummed in response, pulling her feet up on the couch and tucking them a bit as she laid down more fully against Sokka’s chest. Her eyelashes fanned against the tops of her cheeks as her eyes closed. “Tired?” 

“You are a master of perception.” Her words were mocking but her tone was sweet. Neither of these were the questions that Sokka really wanted to ask, but he felt at a loss for words. Toph had cuddled with him before, several times over the years, but mostly out of necessity when they were traveling on Appa in an area that was freezing. He figured this qualified as one of those situations since Toph spent her morning walking around the South Pole and was only now getting in from the intensity of the cold. His hands hovered somewhat awkwardly over her body, unsure where to put them. before he settled his arms along the top of the furniture, clearing his throat. “What did you do with Satoru that made you so tired?” As soon as the words left his mouth he felt a wave of sickness as he considered all the possibilities. She was gone for hours with this guy who couldn’t keep his eyes or hands away from her in public. Sokka could only imagine what a private audience with him was like for the earthbender. Had he made another move on her? Toph moved and her head slid from his chest down towards his stomach. Sokka’s heart skipped a beat and he tried to adjust.

“Probably be more comfortable if you laid back too.” Toph mumbled against his sternum. He could feel her mouth moving through the material of his shirt. He lifted her head gently as he shifted to lay back more himself. She covered him with some of her blanket and adjusted so she was cuddled up next to him with her head against his chest. Sokka hoped his heartbeat was steady as he wrapped one arm around her back. His fingers moved up and down, scratching a bit through the material of her shirt. She hummed again before saying, “Satoru took me to a meeting and then to his workshop.” Sokka’s hand stopped moving.

“What did you do there?” he asked quietly. He couldn’t understand why a part of him was nervous to hear the answer.

“Some machines weren’t working as well as he hoped they would. He said really wants to wow at the celebration, whatever that means.” Toph chuckled lightly and Sokka wished he was the reason behind her laughter. “Anyway,” she continued, “it took a bit of metalbending but everything will be ready in time.”

Sokka was willing to bet that Satoru would break the machines himself if it meant he could get even an extra minute with Toph. Even though this guy lived in the same town as her and saw her multiple times a week, he still felt the need to follow her around here and attempt to monopolize her time on a whole other continent. Sokka was aware of how puerile all of this would sound if he said it out loud so instead he asked, “That’s it?”

Toph pushed her cold feet in between Sokka’s, brushing the icy objects against his legs in order to warm herself up. “What else would there be?” He was going to poke fun at her answering a question with another question to try and relieve the tension he felt building inside but he didn’t get the chance. He froze up when her hands made their way under his shirt and onto the warm skin of his back. She used to do this all the time when they were younger because she knew how badly it annoyed him to have her freezing fingers pressed against him but it was different today. He couldn’t find the words to answer her question. He didn’t want to give her any ideas about being intimate with Satoru if they weren’t there already. The thought made him wince. “So warm.” she breathed sleepily, pulling his attention away from the conflict within himself. He stayed quiet but started scratching her back again, hoping it would help her find sleep.

When her breathing evened out and Sokka knew she was asleep, he moved back a little so he could see her face. She looked so peaceful and - he shouldn’t say it - pretty. Her lips were parted the same way they had been when he pinned her down in the snow earlier and he couldn’t help it when the moment started playing on a loop in his mind. Sokka could feel the thud of his own heart and was grateful that Toph wasn’t awake to feel it too. 

-

The next couple of weeks were filled with plenty of uninterrupted time between Sokka and Toph. Once the celebration of the partnership between Earthen Industries and the Southern Tribe had gone off without a hitch, the earthbender was visibly less stressed. She had no further duties as an executive partner in the company and was pretty much free of responsibility, something she hadn’t been able to say in years. Another added benefit of the celebration being done and over with was that it virtually eliminated Satoru from any business related excuses to see Toph. Sokka was overjoyed when he managed to get her away from the engineer for hours at a time and decided against telling anyone the specific location where he was taking Toph since the engineer had already proved himself to be keen on interrupting. Sokka wanted Toph’s trip to be spent with him and wanted it to be even more enjoyable than her last. His vacation plan plotted out each day with something special. 

One day he gave her an in depth walking tour through the mountains where he’d learned to hunt. He almost immediately regretted this once she started hurling rocks towards him for sport but he had more fun listening to her laugh and dodging her attacks than he had in the many months without her. Another day, he introduced her to some of the boys from the village who he’d trained while their fathers were away at war. Toph would never admit it to Sokka but her respect and adoration for him grew even more after she heard the way all the boys spoke of him. She told herself that the way her heart swelled when she listened to the stories told that day was a normal response- just one friend being proud of another. 

She had to tell herself that, couldn’t let herself admit for even a second that she still felt the same as before, as much as she didn’t want to. She was serious about enjoying whatever time she had with her friends and she didn’t want to ruin that with ill-advised emotions. On their twelfth day in the South Pole Sokka finally convinced her to try an octopus sandwich he had been raving about since the trip over from the Earth Kingdom. After all the big talking he did about it there was no way it could possibly live up to the expectation he’d created. She didn’t like it at all - and if spitting it up at the restaurant didn’t make that clear enough, she spent an hour after telling him how horrible it was. Despite her lengthy complaints, Sokka still found himself laughing during the entire ordeal. It felt like a dream to have Toph by his side again after so many months apart. 

They had been reunited just shy of a month but he experienced more happiness during this time than he imagined possible. When he was away from her he could never remember exactly how it felt being with her, but as soon as they were together again he realized how completely content he was. There were several times in the last six months when the watertribe man was happy but felt as if something was missing. He realized with increasing clarity what that missing thing was the more time he spent with his best friend. 

-

“I can’t believe you’ve really been away with us for weeks.” Aang remarked as he walked through the snow with Toph. Back at the village, Katara and Sokka were sitting in on a tribe meeting with Hakoda. The Spirits Friendship Festival was a three day celebration and it would begin tonight at sundown. There were still several details to work through and plans to go over and when Toph said she was going to go into the mountains to practice earthbending during the meeting Aang decided to join her. He was more interested in having fun than planning fun and he hadn’t had the chance to throw rocks around with Toph in too long. She hummed in response to his statement. Her lack of verbal response was strange, he expected some banter from his friend. He snuck a glance over at her; she seemed distracted.

“Are you worried about your students?” he asked.

She led the way up toward the mountain, the path familiar to her since Sokka took her to explore it not too long ago. ”What?” she asked, not really absorbing the words. A big piece of earth had come off the rock face and she waved it off the path with her right hand, clearing her mind along with the trail. “No.” 

Aang followed behind her carefully, thinking of the best way to get Toph to open up about whatever it was that was pressing on her mind. He thought about attempting humor but wagered that a bad joke would result in some sort of rock-related injury for him. They reached the top of the hill they were ascending and the airbender admired all of the available earth here that wasn’t buried by snow. Casual small talk could be enough to get the ball rolling for a real conversation. “Good spot.” he commented.

“I thought so too when Sokka showed me.” Toph nodded. 

Aang nodded along with her, seizing this opening. “You’ve been hanging out with Sokka a lot here. I kind of thought you were mad at him before we left Yu Dao.” 

The earthbender’s steps faltered ever so slightly but she recovered, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. “Not mad.”

“I figured it pissed you off how protective he was being about Satoru kissing you at the banquet. You wouldn’t even look at him on the ride home.” Aang continued on, oblivious at how sore of a spot he was poking at. Toph wanted to laugh. Protective wasn’t the word she would use to describe Sokka, but she wished that was what had happened that night instead of her embarrassing confession. This was her opportunity to rewrite the events that actually occurred - if not in her mind (where it still played occasionally) than at least in this moment with Aang. Still, she didn’t want to lie to him.

“Yeah. That was a weird night.” There. That was the truth.

The avatar used some of the ground below him to start sculpting a sizable object. His earthbending skills had only grown throughout the years and with a few more movements there was a functional sled in front of him. “So,” he said as he made a bench seat inside the sled, “I can’t help but notice that Satoru is still around.”

“Mm-hmm.” Toph turned towards the snow bank, raising her palms to summon all the stray rocks and debris that could get in the way of her friend’s sled. “I hope you know I’m not getting in that with you.”

Aang would usually push that subject a bit harder but glossed over it, not wanting to lose the momentum he was gaining in the inquisition into the inner workings of Toph's mind. “Even though the celebration for Earthen Industries went off without a hitch.” 

Toph didn’t reply, instead made herself busy constructing an obstacle course of sorts on the side of the mountain. The airbender felt like he was pulling teeth but ventured to ask, “Did he stay so he could go to the festival with you?”

Once she had erected several ramps and targets for dodging she turned toward Aang. “What’s with the twenty questions?” There was an edge to her voice. Aang expected this. In all his years of knowing Toph, she had never been much for talking about her personal life. 

He sighed, knowing honesty was the best option if he wanted to diffuse the irritation within his friend. “I haven’t seen you in forever because I’m always off doing avatar things and it’s nice to have something to talk about other than the fate of the world. Especially when it’s the fact that someone has a massive crush on the strongest earthbender in the world and she’s acting like she doesn’t notice.” 

A flush crept up Toph’s neck, painting her cheeks a pale pink. “You’re an idiot.” she blushed.

Joyous laughter filled the air and Aang elbowed her gently in her ribs. “I never thought I’d see you blush over a guy.” 

Toph swatted his arm away. “If you’re not careful it will be the last thing you ever see.”

The smile remained on his face but he figured he should ease up on her just a bit before she opened the ground up beneath them and buried him in it. “So? Did he stay for you? For the festival?”

She slid her feet further apart, sinking into a strong offensive stance. “We came up here to practice, remember?”

He huffed in response. “Okay, okay.” He lifted his arms and widened his stance as well, forgoing the sled when he realized she would rather spar. She sent boulders flying in his direction but he blocked or evaded them all. He even managed to go on the offensive, advancing towards his old Sifu with blows of his own. His focus was intense, his moves meticulous, and Toph found herself feeling proud in that moment of all the ways he’d grown since their first lesson. She thought back to their first meeting when he knocked her out of the ring and stole her championship belt. It was years ago and she loved him dearly but she still owed him. “Satoru did mention spending some time together at the festival tonight.” 

The words were enough to break his focus. With a gleam in his eyes and excitement clear on his face he dropped his stance, pumping his fist through the air triumphantly. “I knew it!” The whoop he let out was cut off abruptly when Toph sent a heavy rock flying into his stomach. Now it was her turn to laugh.

-

Sokka couldn’t believe how long the tribe meeting lasted. He was happy to be home of course but he couldn’t stop thinking about how the hours he spent sitting amongst stuffy council members could have been spent creating new memories with Toph. He was in the South Pole more often than not whereas he didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with his best friend. Sokka noticed the sun falling even lower in the sky as Hakoda announced that following a brief intermission he would be staying late to answer questions from a few concerned citizens who were waiting outside the meeting hall. Typically, he was the last one out of these meetings -alongside Hakoda- but he didn’t want to miss out on any time he could spend at the festival with his best friend. 

Hakoda stood from the table to stretch his legs and grab some freshly brewed tea. “Would either of you like a cup?” he offered his children. 

Sokka shook his head, making eye contact with Katara briefly to see if she was on the same page. “I’m going to head back home to get ready for the festival. It looks like there’s only an hour until sundown and it’s going to take me half that to walk back. I don’t want to leave Toph and Aang waiting.” 

“I understand, son. I appreciate both of you coming,” Hakoda looked back and forth between his children. “Go together. Keep each other safe. And have fun!”

The siblings arrived back to their house in half the time Sokka expected it would take. Perks of having a master waterbender for a sister - he didn’t have to walk so much as glide beside her in the ice vehicle she fashioned. The lights were all on in the house so he figured everyone was getting ready and decided to do the same himself, closing the door to his bedroom and removing the formal clothing he’d worn to the meeting. He stood under the shower head for a few moments and allowed the warm water to chase the cold out of his limbs. After scrubbing the grime from his body and shampooing his hair with some flowery scent that he’d taken from Katara, he stepped out of the shower. He made quick work of dressing in warm layers, pulling his favorite parka on over everything. He wondered what Toph was going to wear to this thing. She hated dressing for the cold. He smiled and turned off the light in his room, closing the door behind him as he departed. He turned left and walked until he was standing in front of the room where Toph was staying. He half-expected her to open the door before he announced himself, but when she didn’t he went ahead and knocked. He waited ten seconds then knocked again. A voice broke through the silence and made him jump.

“She’s not in there.” 

Sokka turned around and saw Aang standing in the hallway. The airbender adjusted the special orange overcoat he wore - a gift from Katara from the previous year. Sokka tried not to let the nonchalant behavior bother him. “Well, where is she?” he prompted.

“Satoru came to pick her a while ago. She left right before you and Katara got back.”  
Of course. The engineer didn’t have any reason to still be here other than the fact that he was obsessed with Toph and of course he would use this occasion to further his attempts with her. “This is the Spirits Friendship Festival. Not the Spirits Stalker Soiree. I don’t understand why he can’t leave already.” 

Aang shrugged his shoulders at the remark but a smile danced across his face. “Toph was blushing when I brought him up earlier. I knew he really liked her but I think she actually likes him too.” He chuckled as he said the words, delighted with the possibility of his toughest friend experiencing romance, then continued. “Anyway, I was coming to grab you so we could fly over to the festival together. You ready?” 

Sokka remained quiet but nodded his head. Blushing? She likes him too? There was no way. The guy had managed to spend time with Toph in between her adventures with Sokka but the watertribe man figured it was mostly business related. Sokka thought back to the last time Satoru showed up and whisked Toph away; the anger he felt upon realizing his friend left with someone else, the subsequent confession from Toph, her crying when he told her he couldn’t, the argument that followed once they left the banquet when he pushed her too much to discuss it. There was only a month between that night and this one but everything felt different. Every moment he spent with Toph made him realize how much he needed her presence in his life. They were getting along so well now and he didn’t want to allow the negative emotions stirring inside him to ruin that. Still he couldn’t shake the thought that if Toph really liked this guy things were going to change. 

Katara was in the backyard waiting for them. She giggled when she saw her boyfriend in his warm clothes. “Just when I think you can’t get any cuter.” 

The airbender pulled her into his chest so she wouldn’t see his flushed cheeks then planted a kiss on her forehead. “You look quite nice yourself,” He rotated his index finger in a circle, “A spin please. For the full effect.” He watched adoringly as she obliged, laughing a little as she gave him a twirl. Sokka watched the happy couple and wondered if Toph would ever be like this with Satoru. What if she already was? Sokka didn’t know what kind of connection they had when he wasn’t around. Was it possible she cared for the engineer more deeply than she let on? Satoru came and picked her up from the house a few times but she never invited him in (a fact Sokka was grateful for) and only discussed him if prompted once she returned. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Toph was his best friend. He wanted to be happy for her. She never made him feel bad about having Suki, never competed with the Kyoshi warrior for his time or displayed any hostility towards her. He needed to get a hold of himself and enjoy the time he was given with his best friend. 

“Hey!” He called down towards the couple, “I am happy you two are happy, love the love, but could we get going? You know, the Spirit Friendship Festival, happening right now? You remember.” He flashed them a famous smile.

“You got it, buddy.” Aang laughed. He kept Katara close to him, lifting them both up easily with a single blast of air directed beneath them. They settled on the saddle quickly and a moment later, the group was flying through the skies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am incredibly sorry for being away for an extended period of time. For everyone who continues to read even after my hiatus, thank you so so much. Your support means everything to me. Logging back on and seeing your words beneath my chapters is massive to me. I can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter. The next one is going to be INTENSE! Comment with thoughts, opinions, predictions! All love, C.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The skies were usually quiet and dark in the South Pole but tonight the noise and lights from the festival floated up into the night, illuminating faces and figures. Sokka tried to take advantage of this maximized visibility, looking down below for Toph as Appa began his steady descent. He had no such luck using this method but within a minute the sky bison landed on a clear patch of land just outside the festival grounds. He would have better luck looking on foot.  
He made quick work of dismounting, calling out to his companions over his shoulder, “I’m going to go find Toph! We will catch up with you two in a bit.”  
With that he was off, striding through the festival with his head on a swivel. There were bright flashing lights and colorful booths all around him boasting about being the best at one thing or another. He saw one about twenty yards across the way that caught his eye - one of those test your strength hammer games - and thought back to a time in the Fire Nation when Toph played with one similar to it at a carnival they attended together. She ended up breaking the machine, much to her own delight and the booth owner’s dismay. Sokka smiled as he thought back on it and set his course towards this booth.  
As he walked closer he could see a little boy had stepped up to the plate, struggling to adjust the sizable hammer in his hand. Sokka chuckled as the kid winked at a blushing girl standing nearby, gripped the hammer and swung down hard. ‘Good for him’ Sokka thought with a smirk. He turned away from the scene and surveyed the area more. His lips twisted unconsciously into a frown when he realized Toph wasn’t here.  
He continued down the path, looking back and forth between all of the booths. Finally, after nearly ten minutes and a mile’s worth of walking through the crowded celebration, Sokka spotted her. She was wearing a light blue winter dress that was traditional of the women in the village. The material was fur lined and warm, perfect for a night like this one. The boots on her feet were the ones he gave her a couple years ago, a gift he custom made for her because he knew she hated how most pairs of shoes muted her vision. These he designed with thin hide on the soles so Toph could see with no issue, and thicker material and insulation on the sides so she didn’t lose any toes to frostbite in the process of waging her usual war against footwear. He remembered spending a lot of time on the boots and feeling accomplished when he finished them, but feeling even more proud when he gave them to her and she liked them as much as she did.  
It seemed like the people around her were moving at an increased speed, a blur around her, but maybe that juxtaposition was exaggerated by the fact that Sokka was standing still. When had he stopped walking? He was going to take a step forward but his legs refused to do so when he saw the hand slip around Toph’s waist. He watched unmoving as her body was pulled in close by another. Satoru placed a stuffed animal in her hands that he seemed to have won at the booth they were standing near. She smiled a little and although he hoped it was a reflection of the brightly colored lights, Sokka could just make out a pink tint on her cheeks. His heart beat like a drum played by an unskilled musician. Hard. Loud. Erratic. He watched as Satoru cupped Toph’s face in one hand, still holding her waist with the other.  
Satoru dipped his head down, beginning to close the distance between his mouth and Toph’s. Sokka stood frozen; he didn’t want to see this but he couldn’t look away. He wanted her to turn away, to reject this, but instead Satoru’s lips landed on hers without any resistance. Everything in his peripheral was dark and unfocused, all Sokka could see was this man holding Toph, taking her and claiming her with his kiss. His stomach twisted up and turned in on itself and for a moment Sokka worried he would be sick. His feet shuffled forward instinctively, ready to turn into an alley if necessary so he could throw up. Toph pulled away and her head turned in his direction. Shit. She must have realized he was there when she felt him move.  
Sokka thought about whether or not he should duck off anyway but instead he took a deep breath. He exhaled, somewhat shakily, then stood up straight and began to walk over towards his best friend. She looked a little embarrassed but Satoru, that smug son of a bitch, looked proud as he pulled Toph in closer.  
“Hey,” Sokka started softly, his voice lacking its usual excitement, “I was looking for you.”  
“You found us. ” You could practically hear the smirk in Satoru’s voice. Toph shifted away from him almost imperceptibly and Sokka wondered if the action was for his sake. She seemed pretty comfortable in his embrace only a few seconds before. He couldn’t shake the sick feeling that crashed through him as the kiss played in his mind again. He knew it wasn’t the first time Toph shared a kiss with the man, but for him to actually witness it? It was worse than what he imagined and he was having a hard time trying to rationalize the feelings he was experiencing.  
This overwhelming dread, the nausea - it had to be because he was afraid she wouldn’t have as much time for their friendship. He just didn’t want things to change between them and this felt like a big adjustment. He wasn’t used to Toph being with anyone else. His steady stream of thoughts was interrupted when Toph stepped a bit closer to him, the smell of lavender hanging in the breeze where she walked.  
“Satoru and I were actually saying goodbye. He is heading out on an airship tonight with the few others who have stayed around this long.”  
Sokka was relieved to hear that Satoru would be on his way. He hoped he would be able to enjoy the festival with his best friend and hadn’t really planned on working the engineer into the agenda. Toph turned so she was facing Satoru again. “Thank you for the platypus bear,” she said as she squeezed the plush stuffed animal in her hand, “and I will see you when I’m back in Yu Dao.”  
Satoru looked like he wanted to ask her to come, maybe even try for another kiss, but right on cue, someone wearing the Earthen Fire insignia appeared next to him. “Your bags are secured on the ship and we are ready for departure.”  
“I’ll see you soon.” Satoru said earnestly. He wanted nothing more than for Toph to come with him now, to leave this cold place behind and focus on their future together in the Earth Kingdom, but he knew she would need space and time to answer the question he’d asked her earlier. His wish was that she would return from this little vacation knowing without a doubt that he was the one for her. All she had to do was come home to Yu Dao and say yes, then they could finally be together. He only hoped that the years he spent trying to win her over wouldn’t be eclipsed by some childhood friend who was too foolish to realize what had been in front of him the whole time.  
Toph offered the engineer a small smile and a wave, waiting for his footsteps to disappear before she turned sheepishly back to Sokka. She didn’t know how much he saw of the interaction with Satoru, and she didn’t really want to discuss it, instead shifting her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.  
Most of the people around them were cast in shadow as a result of the high-placed decorative lights competing with the inky blackness of the night, but Toph was the exception. She appeared to Sokka in tantalizing clarity, the curves of her body illuminated by a powerful streetlight that cast its glow upon her. The last time he saw her in something this form-fitting was the night of the banquet. As much as he tried not to, he thought back to that night all the time.  
“Should we play one of these games?” Toph’s voice cut through the noise around them, pulling Sokka back to reality. He had to let that night go, he made his decision and dwelling on it only served to confuse him further.  
“Sure. I’ll win you something better than that tiny stuffed animal.” He kept his voice as light and confident as he could, hoping he didn’t sound as jealous as he felt. Since Toph was going to be walking around with him tonight, he wanted her to have something that he gave her. She elbowed his rib gingerly and without thinking about it, he pulled her in close to his side, leaving his arm draped around her shoulder as they walked forward. She didn’t protest, didn’t say anything at all, until they stood in front of the booth Sokka was eyeing earlier. She turned her face up towards his and instinctively he mirrored the action. They were standing so close now, inches apart, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth. Her pink lips twitched as she tried unsuccessfully to hold back her smirk. “I don’t know how I feel about breaking the High Striker here. The Fire Nation was one thing, but here in your hometown?”  
He wanted to say something clever back - wanted to focus on anything other than the fact that her lips looked softer than he remembered, but moving his mouth at all when it was this close to hers felt dangerous. He turned back towards the booth, feeling less on edge when Toph was no longer in his direct line of sight. The worker manning the booth noticed them standing there and asked if they wanted to play. Sokka removed his arm from Toph’s shoulder nonchalantly, patting her on the back firmly in an effort to expunge the electrictricity he felt when they were connected. “You won’t be breaking anything tonight.”  
Sokka stepped forward to grab the mallet, swinging it back and forth a few times to get a feel for it. He knew that these games were rigged against the person playing it, but his understanding of mechanics allowed him to work around this. The center of the machine, where so many people swung, was reinforced with steel and therefore it was almost impossible to send the puck up the tower. Sokka glanced back at Toph who had the same enticing smirk on her face. “Watch closely and marvel at my masculine strength.”  
She rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face. “I’m marveling.”  
He chuckled and focused back on the game, oriented himself slightly to the left, lifted the mallet up and swung down with force. The bell rang out thunderously, catching the attention of carnival goers nearby who started to make their way over to the area. Sokka handed the mallet back to the booth attendant as Toph positioned herself next to him. Dozens of people flooded the area and it became too crowded almost instantaneously. Someone bumped into Toph which in turn caused her to collide with Sokka. Without thinking about it, he pulled her in front of him so he was standing between her and the crowd. When he realized his hand was on her waist, he pulled away as if she burned him.  
“Sorry,” His face flushed with warmth. “It got really crowded and I…” His voice trailed off. What would he say? ‘I didn’t want to lose you’ were the words that came to mind but for whatever reason he was hesitant to say them. It was true though, wasn’t it? He didn’t feel whole when they were apart.  
Toph gave him an out, laughing a little. “No worries. Pick my prize so we can get away from these mouthbreathers.”  
The booth attendant begrudgingly told him he could pick anything he wanted. Poor guy wasn’t used to people winning here and now he had a whole line of people ready to clear out his prize wall. Sokka pointed at the giant polar bear dog that was on the top shelf and thanked the man when he handed it over. That familiar jolt of electricity pulsed through him when Toph placed her hand between his shoulder blades. He could tell she was growing uncomfortable in this crowd and suggested, “Let’s go for a walk up to the mountain.”  
She nodded and stayed close behind him as he led them out of the crowd. When the path became wider and the people around them dissipated, Toph slid her hand off his back and stood by his side once again. The boisterous noises of the festival slipped further away as the pair walked up the rock path up the mountain. Apparently discontented with the quiet, Sokka’s thoughts grew louder with each passing moment. He tried to focus on the slope of the hill in front of him, on putting one foot in front of the other as the rock path turned into snow. They climbed further up than they had before, reaching a peak that overlooked the entire festival. The music floated up quietly here and the moonlight illuminated everything in a faint glow. “This seems far enough away from the chaos.”  
He turned his head to look at Toph who nodded in agreement. She summoned rock from beneath the snow, bending a bench for them to sit on. He sat down and looked down at the stuffed animal in his hands. “Here.” He held it out for her and she grabbed it, giggling a little. Sokka smiled at the noise; she reserved this particular laugh for him. She was too tough to giggle around the others.  
“Do you like it?”  
She moved to sit down on the bench next to him and realized the stuffed animal blocked her face when she kept it on her lap. She laughed again, setting it on the other side of her. “It’s big.”  
Sokka loved the fact that he could make her laugh in ways no one else could. That only he got to see this side of her. “Well if you want something small, you’ve got your little platypus bear.”  
He meant it as a joke but as he said the words he reminded himself of the thing he wanted to think about the least. Toph turned her face away from him, hands searching the bench aimlessly for a moment before she stopped.  
“Actually, I think I must have left it down there somewhere. Dropped it in the crowd or something.” She shrugged her shoulders and turned back to Sokka. He observed her reaction. She didn’t seem too torn up about losing it but that could be for his benefit. A weight started to form on Sokka’s chest as he thought about the way Satoru held Toph. The memory of the two kissing filled his mind again, sending a sharp pain through him. This was eating him up. He had to know what was going on between them.  
“Is Satoru like...your boyfriend or something?”  
He couldn’t stop himself from saying the words and once they were out there was no taking them back. His foot was tapping up and down nervously, making his leg shake, and he placed his hand down on top of it in an effort to stop the involuntary movement.  
“Why does it matter?” A whisper in the wind.  
Her voice was so quiet he barely heard her speak. Sokka turned his whole body to face Toph. His body was galvanic, he could feel the blood roaring through his veins, hear his heart beating loudly in his own ears. Why did this affect him so much? He was embarrassed by his tell-tale heart, sure she could feel the intense vibrations emanating from within him. “It just does.”  
Toph sighed, pulling at the ear of her stuffed dog. “I don’t want to talk about this.”  
Sokka was usually composed and in control but in this moment he could feel it all slipping away. He knew he was encroaching on dangerous territory, that pushing Toph hardly yielded good results for him, but he couldn’t stop. “You said you were into me. A month ago at that banquet.”  
Toph winced, her eyes closing as she recollected that horrible night. She ducked her head so he couldn’t see her face. “I especially don’t want to talk about that.”  
“Well I do!” Sokka’s voice was loud and impassioned. “You tell me you have feelings for me...that you’ve had them for years. Then you demand we never speak about it again-”  
Toph stood up from the bench quickly, anger clear on her face. “After you rejected me!”  
Sokka stood up too, ignoring her objection and raising his voice so it was louder than hers. “You confessed feelings and then told me to forget about it. How the fuck,” he threw his hands up to emphasize this word, “was I supposed to forget something like that anyway, Toph?”  
She took a step closer to him. “How convenient for you to gloss over the part where you humiliated me. You made me think you were going to kiss me.” Her words were full of venom but there was pain in her eyes.  
Sokka hated that he was responsible for it. He wanted to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, but anger fueled him as he recalled that night. “Good thing Satoru was there, right? It took you all of two seconds to move on.” It was the wrong thing to say. He didn’t mean it and wasn't grateful at all that Satoru had stolen the kiss she meant for him.  
Toph tightened her fingers into a fist and sent it flying forward. How dare he turn this around on her, make her out to be the bad guy. Sokka grabbed her by the wrist, blocking her hit. She tried to yank her arm back but he held onto her tight. She cursed loudly.  
“What did you want me to do? Cry about you rejecting me?” Her left fist flew towards his face but he caught that one too.  
“Damn it, will you stop?” He pushed her so her back was against a thick tree trunk, pinning her wrists on either side of her head, allowing him to control her movements better. “I didn’t want you to let some other guy kiss you.”  
She stopped struggling for a moment, caught off guard by his words. He looked down, taking in the full sight of her. Strands of her dark hair had fallen into her face during their argument. He released one of her hands so he could smooth the hair away, tucking it behind her hair. “I didn’t want you to let him touch you.”  
She was unmoving but her lips parted a little as she exhaled a shaky breath. His eyes darted down to the source of the sound. All he could focus on was her plump mouth. “Seeing you with him makes me sick.” He let go of her other wrist as he could see she was done fighting him, but they still stood closer than ever before. “When you leave with him all I can think about is when you’ll come back to me.”  
The air was charged with electricity. Sokka wrapped his hand around the side of her neck and could feel her pulse hammering against his fingers. He leaned down slowly - he wanted her to have every opportunity to pull away, to say no if this wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her eyes fluttered closed, and that was all he needed to connect his mouth with hers. He sighed in relief, his body releasing all the tension that was accumulating. Her lips were so soft, her mouth so ready to yield to his. He tried to keep it sweet, to contain the heat that was building in his belly, but Toph had other ideas. She gripped the fabric of his coat tight, pulling him in closer.  
He held her against the tree, placing his leg in between hers and spreading them apart further so he could stand between them. The closer they got, the closer he wanted to be. He could tell she felt the same when she wrapped one of her legs around his waist, pulling him forward more as the kiss grew deeper. Her dress rode up, revealing the silky skin beneath it and Sokka wanted to feel her for himself. He gripped her thigh in his right hand and the noise Toph made sent a jolt straight to his center. He wanted to stay this close but knew she would feel his growing erection and attempted to adjust. He lost his grip on her and they fell forward with her landing on top of him.  
He rolled her over so he was on top, hovering over her so she couldn’t feel how hard he was. She looked breathtaking, laying sprawled out in the snow like this for him. Her mouth found his again and any thoughts in his mind were overtaken by the overwhelming sensation that came with her touch. She moved her hands to his waist, slipping them under the layers of fabric that covered his torso so she could feel his skin against hers. As they kissed, she explored the muscled expanse of his body. He made a noise in the back of his throat and his hips rocked forward unintentionally. Sokka felt out of control at this moment; all he wanted was her and he would give her anything she asked for. He tried to pull his hips back, to keep this innocent, but he wasn’t fast enough and she felt his stiffness between her legs. He could feel her gasp against his lips and he was going to apologize, tell her there was no pressure to do anything, but she moved her hands from his torso to his belt.  
“Toph..” His voice was unsteady and partly muffled by her mouth. Did she really want to do this? She seemed to answer his unspoken question when she metalbent his belt loose. He pulled it off completely and tossed it to the side. She went for the hem of his coat, wanting him to remove that as well and he obliged quickly. He wanted to undress her too, but was afraid she would freeze out here with her dress off. As if she read his mind, she unbuttoned the top of her dress enough to put her breasts on full display. He stopped kissing her for a moment, drawing back so he could admire the angel before him. He didn’t say anything and she started to feel nervous - what if he saw something he didn’t like? - but finally he exhaled “La and Tui...you are so beautiful.”  
He dipped down and planted a chaste kiss on her lips, moving his mouth down her jawline and to her throat. The kisses he placed here elicited soft moans from Toph. Her lips formed his name and it sounded like music to him. He grazed his teeth against the smooth skin on her neck, biting down then soothing the red areas with a pucker of his lips, a swipe of his tongue. He continued this slow and sensual assault, trying his best to ignore how uncomfortably turned on he was so he could focus on Toph. Her pink nipples were hard, from the cold or the excitement he wasn’t sure, and when he rolled one between his fingers softly her back arched up off the ground. “You like that?” He pinched gently and she cried out in pleasure, nodding her head even though he already had his answer.  
“You’re so sensitive.” He squeezed once more then took her in his mouth, rolling and flicking his tongue over the aroused area. “Has anyone ever touched you here?”  
He hoped that the answer was no. He couldn’t bear to think that anyone else had seen her like this, touched her like this. No one in the world was worthy of this moment with her. He wasn’t sure he was. He moved to her next breast, still massaging the other in his hand as he sucked possessively on the flawless skin next to her nipple. “Tell me I’m the only one, Toph.”  
“You are.” Her eyes were screwed shut and she felt an unfamiliar warmness building inside her.  
Sokka watched her in absolute awe. Could she come like this? Just from his mouth and hands on her breasts? He wanted to absorb every detail about this moment. “I’m what?”  
He needed to hear the words coming from her mouth. Her breathing was heavy and uneven, her back lifting off the ground as he recaptured her nipple between his lips. She grabbed the waistline of his pants once more, this time slipping into the band of his underwear, yanking the offending items down past his knees and hooking him in closer still. Her hips tilted up to meet his and they both groaned as his stiffness rubbed against her. Sokka realized she wasn’t wearing underwear and it took everything in him not to come right there. She was soaking wet and he slid right past her entrance. “Shit.” He needed to be careful, it would only take one roll of his hips and he’d be inside her.  
His heart was pounding in his chest. He had never felt like this, not even with Suki. His eyes widened to the size of saucers and he pulled back. Suki! He scrambled to his feet, creating as much distance as he could between his throbbing cock and the object of his desire. Toph started to sit up, clearly startled by his withdrawal. “What’s wrong?”  
Her breasts were still fully revealed, littered with red and purple marks that he left on her ivory skin. He tore his eyes away, pulling his underwear and pants back up quickly. This was so wrong. How did he take it this far with Toph and not think about Suki once? He was going to take her virginity out here in the snow with his girlfriend a continent away? He loved Suki, how could he do this to her? How could he do this to Toph? He found his coat and pulled it on as well. “Toph, I am so sorry.”  
As soon as he said the words, her heart plummeted into her stomach. He was rejecting her again. She felt sick to her core. She tugged her dress down so she wasn’t exposed anymore then made swift work of buttoning her breasts away. She turned her back to him and bit down on the inside of her cheek. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him. Not ever again. She felt him take a step towards her and she held her hand up.  
He stopped walking, but his voice was desperate. “I got caught up in the moment. I was jealous of Satoru and I care about you so much and you look so beautiful. I let things go too far and-”  
“Stop.” Toph stood up from the snow and started to walk towards the rock path. Sokka let her move past him but then turned and followed behind her.  
“What are you thinking? What are you feeling?”  
Toph swore he was the stupidest man in the world. What was she thinking? She thought she was worse than a fool for allowing Sokka to get close to her this way. A part of her must have known it would end like this, with her humiliation and his apology. As far as feelings went? She was angry, beyond angry, that he would do this. Furious at herself for going along with it. The devastation she experienced when he practically leapt away from her was not something she could formulate into words.  
“Could you please say something?” Sokka reached for her hand to stop her from walking down out of the mountain. She jerked away but stopped in her tracks, turning to face him.  
“Don’t touch me, Sokka.”  
He opened his mouth to apologize, but she continued on, “You want me to talk about my feelings? I don’t have any. Not for you. Not anymore.”  
Sokka felt the same crushing weight from before, that same sickness. He was the one in the wrong, everything here was his fault, but it didn’t make her words hurt any less. Maybe because he knew that his feelings for her weren’t going away. Ever since the night of the banquet he had fought them, justified them in his mind as something else. It was wrong, it was horrible and cruel to feel this way about her and still pull away. He knew after this experience he would never look at her the same. The way she made him feel on the mountain wasn’t something he would be able to forget over time or move on from. But Suki was out there somewhere in the world tonight loving him and waiting for him. He couldn’t do this to her after the years they spent together. He was supposed to be a better man.  
Toph swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. “If you’re worried I’m going to tell someone what happened between us, don’t. I’ll save us both the embarrassment.”  
Sokka was taken aback by her choice of words. Embarrassment? “What happened between us wasn’t embarrassing. At all. I just shouldn’t have let it get this far. I have a girlfriend and-”  
“And I have Satoru. It was a mistake.” Toph cut him off. She wished she could see the look on his face, but from his irregular heartbeat she could tell her words had the intended effect.  
“Embarrassment. Mistake.” Sokka echoed the words back in disbelief.  
Toph turned away and started to walk down the mountain again. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that only he held the power to break her heart this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo...This was a hard one to write but essential to the plot. Tell me what you all thought! What was your favorite or least favorite part? Thank you once again to everyone who reads this story. I love you all you Tokka shippers out there!!!


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